


when the sun came up (i was looking at you)

by thewomanofwonder



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Angst, Eventual Happy Ending, Expect the same kind of content as in the hunger games trilogy, F/F, Fluff, Hunger Games-Typical Death/Violence, Hurt/Comfort, I think this counts as idiots to lovers at this point, I'm giving Dinah a bow so you're welcome, Idk how else to warn y'all, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:27:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 147,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25126984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewomanofwonder/pseuds/thewomanofwonder
Summary: "And so it was decreed that each year the various districts of Panem would offer up, in tribute, one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage, and sacrifice."Dinah is a girl from District 7 who wants to save her sister. Helena is a girl from District 2 who has to make her family proud.Twenty-four kids go in. Only one is supposed to come out.
Relationships: Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance, Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel
Comments: 181
Kudos: 218





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will try to provide warnings and shit in the authors note of each chapter but please just keep in mind to expect the same/similar content as in the original hunger games series and take care of yourselves.
> 
> this fic is essentially my baby so be nice to it and in exchange i will not kill dinah or helena (im joking i would not kill either of them). there may be a typo or two that i missed while editing. please just... ignore it.
> 
> thank you bianca and hivemind for being amazing comrades.  
> to the rest of you uhhhhhhhhhhhhh. good luck :)

“It, of course, comes from a painful place. A place in our history that we weren’t sure we could ever quite return from. It began as a sacrifice… a reminder.” Lex Luthor says as he looks towards the audience. John Constantine nods along beside him in agreement. “A reminder of the rebellion and a sacrifice to pay for what the districts had done… But it’s more than that now, I think. It’s something that brings us all together.” The crowd claps and cheers offscreen, clearly liking the answer from the head gamemaker. Helena scoffs, drawing the attention of her father over to her from where he’s sitting in his chair. She knows from the look on his face that he won’t let this go, so she braces herself for what she knows is coming.

“Is there a problem, Helena?” He asks, daring her to say yes. Helena shifts her jaw, teeth clenching, and makes eye contact.

“No sir. There isn’t a problem.”

“Then why the scoff?” She looks back up on the screen as Lex answers a question about his personal gamemaking style. Her father doesn’t take well to the silence. “Answer me. Why did you scoff? Do you think you’re too good for the games?”

“No.” Helena answers, looking at him again. The little creases on his forehead, the ones that come out whenever he’s stressed by work or her mother mentions Pino, are forming already. “I just think the Hunger Games are ridiculous. They’re a barbaric form of entertainment for a bunch of people in fancy clothes who drink champagne all day and never work.” Her father clenches his fists, muscles in his arms twitching. She half expects him to throw the glass of scotch on the table beside him at her. 

“Fancy clothes and champagne… Look around you, Helena. You get to wear fancy clothes, and we have cabinets full of champagne and scotch and wine. We have these things because I work hard for them. Because we are an elite family, Helena. And elite families have honor, and pride for their country. Elite families show their pride for Panem by raising tributes who will go and fight and prove how strong their districts, their families, are. Tributes who compete. These games are a way to prove to all of Panem that the Bertinelli name is one worth remembering.”

“At what cost though?” Helena asks, voice raising as she stands from the couch. She can hear her mother stop cutting vegetables in the kitchen. She sees her father tense up, ready to fight with her over this once again. “We lost Pino just last year to the games. Was that not sacrifice enough? I have to die for the family’s honor too?”

“Do not bring Giuseppe up.”

“Why not? Because he’s dead? I’m about to be too, so we might as well get everything out in the open now!” Helena shouts. Her father stands and steps close to her in one stride. He’s much bigger than her, but Helena can’t hardly be intimidated by anyone anymore.

“I will not tolerate this kind of speak from you, Helena. Your brother died for his country, his district, and his family. He died honorably.”

“He was gutted on national television by a boy from six who didn’t even last four hours after that.” Helena grits out. She notices her mother entering the room out of the corner of her eye. “He only volunteered because you made him feel like he had to; his blood is on your hands. He was not ready for the games.”

“But you are.” Her father says, voice low. His tone leaves no room for argument. “This is your last year of eligibility, and you were handpicked by your trainers to volunteer. Nobody in this district is more capable of winning these games than you are. You won’t get out of this at the last minute like you have every other year. You have been training your whole life for this. You will volunteer tomorrow, and then you will win, and you will return to a proud district, and an even prouder family. Do I make myself clear, Helena?” Helena turns her head to look back up at the screen. John Constantine and Lex Luthor laughing and smiling about the games almost fills her with more rage than her father’s words. She huffs and turns to meet his eyes again.

“Crystal.” She shoves past him, making sure to bump his shoulder as roughly as she can without actually making him move, and heads for her bedroom. Everyone is content to send her off to her death like it’s meaningless. Her own parents unfazed by the likelihood of her death, the memory of how Pino looked when he was lifeless on her family’s television screen, how the people of the Capitol smile and laugh and wave at every tribute and then turn around and place bets on their lives like it’s all fiction… everything about what’s happening fills her with rage. She slams her door shut behind her so she won’t have to hear her parents bicker about her and the games and Pino. The marble walls around her feel smaller than usual, so she holds her breath and walks out onto her balcony that overlooks the mines of District 2. It could very well be her last night in her room, but she can’t bring herself to lay in her bed or look at her walls or work on her latest sculpture. It’s not like she could finish it in one night anyway, so it will likely remain an unfinished piece forever. She sighs, watching the workers below as they go about their business like always. She will make her district proud or she will die trying. It isn’t her choice.

* * *

Dinah is almost done getting dressed when she hears screaming coming from Cass’ room. It has her running in there before she’s really even awake. It’s become routine for them in the previous weeks. It’s reaping day in District 7, and Cass has her name in the bowl for the first time. It’s always nerve wracking to watch as the pale woman from the Capitol yanks a slip of paper out, knowing your name could be the one on it, but the first time is the worst. Dinah remembers it all too well. There’s no escaping it, though.

“Hey, shh. It’s okay, Cass.” She whispers, sitting on the bed and pulling the girl into her. Cass clutches onto her shirt and tries to steady her breath.

“They picked me.”

“No, you’re safe. You’re okay. They didn’t pick you.”

“But they might.” Dinah closes her eyes and places a kiss to Cass’ forehead. They might.

“It’s your first year, Cass. The odds of them picking you… They won’t.” But they might. Dinah knows it. She knows it could be her or Cass or Oliver or any of Oliver’s siblings. None of them are actually safe. She keeps telling Cass they are, though. 

“Will you sing for me?” Cass asks, laying back down. Dinah smiles and reaches over to tug the blanket up to re-cover her.

“ _ Deep in the meadow, under the willow. A bed of grass, a soft green pillow… _ ” Dinah sings until eventually Cass falls back asleep. Once she’s positive the kid won’t wake up again, Dinah gets up and heads to the living room where her jacket and boots are. Just because it’s reaping day doesn’t mean she should stop hunting. People in the district still need food, especially her own family. She pulls her jacket on, enjoying the familiar and comforting feel of worn leather for a moment, before she sits down in one of the old kitchen chairs to pull her boots on and lace them up. She considers taking her axe with her. She doesn’t plan on being out for very long though, so she settles on just sticking with her dad’s bow that’s waiting for her out in the woods.

When she steps out the front door, the sun is just beginning to rise over the market a few blocks down. There’s a slight breeze carrying the smell of pine and cedar through the air, and she takes a deep breath to inhale it before heading on her way. The sound of the massive lumber mill just east and of stray dogs barking around the neighborhood are all a home like feeling. District 7 is nowhere near wealthy, but it isn’t a particularly poor district either. Dinah hasn’t ever been to another district, not that many other people have, but she has heard about the others. She knows that one, two, and four are the wealthiest, and capitol favorites, and eleven and twelve are by far the poorest, but other than that, they’re all fairly equal. 

She heads for the fence along the outskirts of the neighbor, sparing a glance at a small group of lumberjacks passing by. Her father had been one of them, as had Oliver’s, and both of Cass’ biological parents, too. She can remember the look on her mother’s face when she returned home from school the day it had happened. It had taken weeks to figure out the whole story. Someone got a pack of cigars at the black market and took them to work, shared some with their friends on a lunch break between the trees, dropped one in the grass and walked away without making sure it was completely put out. The whole area was lit up in under an hour, trapping any workers deeper in the woods to be devoured by the flames. It had happened ten years ago, but every time Dinah sees the lumberjacks pass on their way to work she can’t help but think of her father saying goodbye to her that morning.

Dinah takes a sharp left down an alley between two stone buildings. The alley forms a T-shape, and she turns right to sneak through the hole in the tall chain link fence that surrounds the back end of the district, separating the neighborhoods from the forest that hadn’t yet been cut down for the Capitol. Had she gone straight, she would have found herself in the square where they were undoubtedly setting up for the day’s reaping. She spares a glance behind herself, just to be sure she isn’t being followed or watched, and ducks down to slip through the fence before jogging right off into the woods. About thirty meters in, she stops at a thick oak tree and reaches into the crevice her father carved out to grab her bow and quiver. He had taught her all he could about tracking and hunting before his death; the rest she had learned from or with Oliver. She tosses the quiver over her shoulder and heads for the river. It’s an easy place to catch birds and small mammals early in the morning.

The river runs straight through the forest before diverging into several creeks, some of which run into the district. The water coursing along the rocks from spring to when it freezes over come late fall is one of Dinah’s favorite sounds. If it were her choice, she could spend all day on the bank watching the animals pass through and listening to the water until the sun finally sets and the fireflies light her way home. She sighs at the thought of it as she reaches the treeline and glances up. A full grown elk is standing just across the river, completely unaware of her presence. She’s startled by the sight at first but quickly gathers her bearings and raises her bow, drawing an arrow back, and aiming just below it’s withers. An elk that big could feed her family for a week and still be enough to-

“Jesus Canary! The fuck are you gonna do with a deer that big?” The elks head shoots up from the water to see her there, and then it’s gone just as fast. Dinah whips around on Oliver in frustration.

“I was going to sell it. And it’s an elk, dumbass, not a deer.”    


“It’s brown, fuzzy, got antlers. Sounds deer enough to me.” Oliver is wearing his jacket; it’s leather like Dinah’s but a bit darker. He has a small bag slung over his broad shoulders. He doesn’t have his own bow with him, though, indicative of the fact he doesn’t plan on hunting. His goofy smirk slides off his face and turns to a look of seriousness. “It’s reaping day, Dinah.”

“I know.”

“Please don’t go giving the peacekeepers another reason to shoot you in the square.” He says, but his tone has gone joking again. He leans down to grab a rock off the ground, tosses it up and catches it once, and then throws it up into the trees. Birds go flying out from the leaves and limbs. Dinah raises her bow once again, arrow still drawn. It only takes a second to find her mark before she lets the arrow soar through the air. It hits a bird perfectly, bringing it down to the ground by the edge of the lake. Oliver whistles in admiration at the shot. Dinah’s eyes narrow, though, and she turns to scrutinize him.

“What do you mean  _ another _ reason?” His grin doesn’t fade in the slightest.

“Well, you can be pretty damn annoying, Canary.” He laughs, and she punches his shoulder, hiding her own smile..

“Look who’s talking.”

“Yeah, yeah. Go get your bird before a bobcat finds it. I brought breakfast.” She drops down off the embankment to grab the game and then walks a few feet along the edge of the creek to the log on the river’s edge where Oliver is already sitting and digging through his bag. He hands her something wrapped in foil, and she unwraps it as she joins him. It’s fresh rabbit jerky, probably from Greasy Sal, the butcher down at the eastside market. Oliver takes a bite of his own, exhaling heavily through his nose.

“What if everyone just... stopped watching the games?” Dinah resists the urge to roll her eyes. They’ve had the conversation before; he just can’t let it go. 

“It wouldn’t happen, Ollie. People wouldn’t stop.” He shakes his head.

“But what if they did? If everyone just stopped watching. One year. That’s it. What would happen?” He looked at her, dark brown eyes going soft. “What if we stopped?” She can see how much he wants it to happen. For things to change. She knows it isn’t possible, though. There’s a reason it’s so difficult for the districts to communicate with each other.

“We would get in trouble, Ollie. You know this.” He picks at his jerky mindlessly, staring off down the river and into the woods.

“They expect us to root for our favorites? Cry when they all get killed? No… It’s sick. I’m tired of it.”

“I know.” She has an eyebrow raised at him when he looks back at her; it makes him scoff.   


“What?”

“Nothing!” Dinah throws her hands up in surrender, not in the mood to fight him unless it’s in a playful manner. He can’t help but smile at her for a second, but then it drops again.

“We could run away?” Dinah snorts.

“Yeah, okay.” She says through a chuckle before taking a bite of her jerky.

“I’m serious. Live off the woods. We’re capable of it.”

“Oliver.”

“We could do it. No more reapings. No more starving.”

“They would catch us.”

“Would they? I’m pretty fast.” Dinah laughs and reaches up to ruffle his dark hair.

“You are fast. I’ll give you that.” She sighs. “We wouldn’t get five miles, though.”

“Eh, sure we would.” Oliver grins, picking up a small stick off the ground. “I could get five miles. I would go that way.” He points in the opposite direction of the river, north. Dinah shakes her head. It’s fun to think about, maybe, but it would never work.

“I have Cass and my mom. You have your mom and sisters.”

“Why can’t they come?” Dinah gives him a deadpan look.

“Cass, Emiko, and Thea in the woods? Really?” He laughs loudly.

“Cass is resourceful! She can help us toughen up Emiko and Thea.” Dinah smiles softly, but doesn’t respond. It wouldn’t work. There’s no way. He sighs again. “Maybe not.” It’s silent for a moment between them, just the running water and birds chirping to keep things from being too quiet.

“I’m never having kids.” Oliver gives her a glance out of the corner of his eye, but doesn’t spare much else as he goes about drawing something in the dirt with the stick he has. It looks a bit like an animal, but he’s not much of an artist.

“If I didn’t live here I might.” He says, voice much quieter than usual.

“We do, though.” 

“I know, but if I didn’t.” He almost snaps. Dinah watches him for a moment while he drags the stick along the mud some more. He drops it suddenly. “Hey, I almost forgot!” He reaches into his bag, digging around through each pocket eagerly, before pulling something out of the smallest one. He holds it out to her in his palm. It’s a gold pin; it has a mockingjay on it with an arrow in its beak.

“Sal’s wife gave this to me as a thank you for giving them a discount on the deer I shot the other day.” He tells her nonchalantly, like it’s no big deal that he cut down his price to make sure Sal could feed his family. She smiles at him and takes it. “I figured you or Cass may like it.”

“It’s beautiful, Ollie. Thank you.” He nods and raises up what’s left of his jerky like he’s making a toast.

“Happy Hunger Games, Canary.” She raises hers in return.

“And may the odds be ever in your favor.” He laughs at her mocking accent. She watches him again for a moment. He’s been cutting discounts for people more often than usual lately. Oliver has always been generous, but he has a family to feed, too, at the end of the day. She figures he’s been taking tesserae to make it work; extra food rations in exchange for letting your name be added to the reaping ball another time isn’t ideal for anyone, but…

“How many times is your name in there?” Dinah asks in a whisper.

“Forty-two.” He smiles at her sadly. “Guess those odds aren’t exactly in my favor, huh?” She doesn’t know what to say to him. She knew she wouldn’t like the answer, but she needed to know. She looks up at the sky, checking to see where the sun is, and stands up from the log.

“We should head back.”

* * *

Helena isn’t one for fancy outfits and parties and whatnot. She’s been going to them since she was little just because of her family’s status in the district, but she never enjoyed it. She never thought she could enjoy it less, either. She discovers how wrong she was about that while standing there in a long black dress with everyone talking about her around her. 

Her parents arranged the brunch the moment they learned she had been selected by the trainers to volunteer during the reaping. They wanted to have one last formal gathering before the reaping happened to show Helena off to all of their friends and acquaintances and business partners. Everyone had greeted her when they arrived. Most had offered their congratulations to her. A couple had attempted to ask her about her strategy and plans; she didn’t entertain their questions for long, though. It was obvious they were just fishing for whether or not they should bet on her. Honestly, Helena doesn’t give a shit about the games or the outcome. She knows the odds of winning even for the most skilled tributes. If they had asked her opinion, she would have told them to bet on Roy instead. Sure, he’s fucking annoying and arrogant, but he cares about winning. He wants to win. Helena isn’t sure she can say the same for herself.

“Helena Bertinelli.” The sound of her name has her looking up from the spot where the marble is chipped on the staircase to find a tall man with dark brown hair and a stubbly beard standing before her. He’s wearing a perfectly tailored purple suit that easily sets him apart from the rest of the people in the Bertinelli home. He sticks out his hand and smiles in a way that’s more genuine than Helena thinks she’s seen in all her life. “I’m Richard Grayson. My friends call me Dick.”

“That’s unfortunate.” She deadpans while reaching out to shake his hand. He didn’t need to introduce himself. He’s one of the most well-known victors from District 2; he’s a celebrity both here and in the Capitol. She pieced together who he was the moment she looked at him, and she’s sure he knows that. He laughs, and Helena can’t help but smile as she lets go of his hand. “Nice suit.”

“Thank you. Harley Quinn designed it specially for me.”

“It’s a good color.” 

“I know.” He smirks, then looks around to see if anyone is watching or listening to them. Nobody is; they’re all far too obsessed with themselves for that. “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but it is a shame they are sending you into the arena.” Helena tilts her head at him in confusion; she’s not used to that attitude towards her being selected by the trainers.

“Don’t tell me you, of all people, aren’t a fan of the games?” He shrugs, and she knows it isn’t the time or the place but still opts to push it. “You trained your whole life. Pride and joy of the career academy. Your games were the shortest ever because you hunted down every other tribute like it was for sport.”

“Wasn’t it?” Helena narrows her eyes at him. Of course it wasn’t. He smiles again, like he knows something she doesn’t. He probably does, she figures. “Nobody plays the game for themselves, Helena, but we still have to play it nonetheless.”

“Oh so you speak in riddles?” 

“No.” He shakes his head and looks around again. He seems more cautious than most rich people are. “You’ll understand what I mean after the games.” She makes a sound right between a scoff and a laugh.

“Who said I’m going to be around after them?”

“I did. I am going to be your mentor after all.” Dick holds out his arms and angles his head like he’s modeling for her. It only lasts a moment, though, and then he drops them back to his sides and looks at her. “The Harper boy, whatever his name is, he’ll be mentored by Jason. They’ll be like two peas in a pod if everything I’ve heard about the kid is even semi-accurate.”

“He’s an asshole.”

“Great, then it was accurate!” Dick grins. Helena can see what made him so popular in the Capitol. Not only did he give them one hell of a show in the arena, he’s also unbearably charismatic. It’s almost gross. “We’ll get started with strategizing after the reaping, probably on the train to the Capitol, but I did want to introduce myself beforehand.” His eyes dart around for a minute and then he leans in close to her, hand reaching for a dessert on the table beside her so it looks somewhat natural, and whispers, “I’m sorry about your brother. He deserved better; you do, too. I want to give you that chance.”

“I appreciate that.” Helena says as he leans back away. He takes a bite of the cookie he grabbed and nods at her.

“I’m going to go schmooze some more. I do have a reputation to uphold, you know?” Helena rolls her eyes playfully.

“Yeah, I’m well aware of your reputation, Dick.” He steps back, about to walk away from her, and then he pauses like he’s thinking of saying something. She deadpans, slightly annoyed by antics he hasn’t even gotten up to yet. “What?” He shakes his head and waves her off with his hand.

“Nothing. Just… may the odds be ever in your favor, Helena.”

* * *

It doesn’t take Dinah long to get ready for the reaping. She puts on a blue sundress her mom had laid out across her bed for her after getting out of the bath and then heads into the living area. Cass is standing there, also in a dress, but she looks far more uncomfortable.

“Oh, you both look so beautiful.” Laurel says. Her voice sounds cheery, but Dinah knows her mother well enough to know it’s fake.

“This is itchy.” Cass grumbles, pulling at a loose thread. Dinah bats her hand away playfully.

“It’s only for a little while. You’ll be okay.” Cass rolls her eyes, but she truly doesn’t look so sure. Dinah gets it. She’s been there. Everyone has. “Hey, I’ve got something for you, though.” Cass looks up with a bit more excitement, and Dinah holds out the mockingjay pin to the younger girl. “Oliver gave this to me. It’s a mockingjay. As long as you’ve got this, nothing bad will happen to you.” She sets it in Cass’ palm and guides her to close her fingers around it. “I promise.” A bell tolls outside, signalling for everyone to gather in the square. Dinah takes a deep breath and stands, offering her hand to Cass. “It’s time. We can do this, okay?” Cass nods, unsure, and takes her hand.

The walk to the square isn’t far, but it always feels miles long on reaping day. Everyone is heading there; it’s law that the event be attended by everyone in the district. Peacekeepers are lining the road as they get closer, and even more line the edges of the square. Some are guiding children to their appropriate section. They’re divided by age, youngest up front and oldest towards the back of the crowd. As they approach the table to check in, Dinah feels Cass let go of her hand, stopping in the middle of the crowd. She turns around to find Cass with the same terrified look on her face that was there earlier in the morning.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. Cass, it’s okay.”

“I don’t wanna do this, Dinah.” Cass says, trying to force back tears.

“I know. I don’t either. It’s gonna be okay, though. They’ll just prick your finger when you reach the table and get a little blood. It won’t even hurt.”

“I don’t wanna leave you.”

“It’ll be okay, Cass. I promise. You’ll just go stand with the other kids your age, and then when it’s all over I’ll come find you and we’ll go home.” Cass nods while taking a deep breath. Once she seems to have calmed down, Dinah guides her towards the line for the table for her age group. Dinah gets in her own line, but her attention stays on Cass and making sure she gets where she needs to go safely. She doesn’t even feel her own finger get pricked. She’s completely on autopilot as she heads for her section. She catches a glimpse of Cass standing in her section on her way there, so that at least makes her feel better knowing that the kid made it there safely. She’s only standing there for a moment when the doors to the district’s Hall of Justice open up, and several old men in suits walk out to sit in chairs at the back of the stage. Up front and center is the reaping ball, waiting to ruin the lives of two poor kids. Dinah just wants the day to be over with already. She looks to her left and spots Oliver. He turns his head and meets her eyes, almost like he knew exactly where she was and that she was looking. He nods at her. It’s not much, but it’s still somehow comforting. She reminds herself to breathe. It’ll be okay.

A woman with pale skin and dark hair walks out in a shining dark blue suit. It looks like someone sprinkled glitter over it, and the top hat doesn’t do much to help it’s case. Dinah never has understood the people of the Capitol. Not that she wants to, all they’ve ever really done is live a life of luxury and annoy the hell out of her. The woman’s heels click obnoxiously on the stage as she approaches the microphone. They’re probably what makes her look so tall, but realistically Dinah knows the woman probably isn’t much taller than her, if at all. The Capitol lady taps the microphone, causing feedback to blare over the speakers around the square, before leaning into it. 

“Welcome! Happy Hunger Games, and, as always, may the odds be ever in your favor.” She smiles at the crowd as if there’s something to be excited about. “Before we get started, we have a lovely film provided by the Capitol.” She gestures up to the large screen behind her as some short film about the games and their purpose plays. It’s all bullshit, and Dinah has seen it one too many times to care to watch. She looks over at Oliver, knowing he’ll be equally as uninterested. He’s already looking her way when she does.

_ “Is that a new hat?” _ He mouths. Dinah has to stifle a laugh, not wanting to draw the attention of the peacekeepers to herself. 

_ “No way, it’s so last season.” _ She mouths back. Oliver grins and shakes his head, looking back up at the screen. The film is the same one they show every year. Nothing about it will ever change.

_ “And so it was decreed that each year the various districts of Panem would offer up, in tribute, one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage, and sacrifice.”  _ President Sionis’ voice echoes around the square. _ “The lone victor, bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future.” _ The triumphant horns playing in the background of the film quiet, and the woman on the stage claps her hands together.

“Lovely!” She says. “Now, it is time to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 7 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games! As always, ladies first.” She waltzes over the reaping ball in front of the girls’ section. She dips her hand in, fishes around for a second, and plucks a card from the bowl. She holds it up with a smile and heads back to her microphone. The whole crowd is tense and quiet, waiting, hoping. She unfolds the card, and clears her throat.

“Cassandra Cain.” Dinah’s heart stops. It feels like the time she had fallen from a tree while setting up a snare trap and hit the ground with a massive thud. The wind had been completely knocked from her lungs and she couldn’t breathe or stand or even move. Everything stood still. Except nothing was standing still. The crowd around her was shuffling uncomfortably as they waited for someone, for Cass, to step out. “Cassandra, where are you? Come on up, dear!” The kids in Cass’ section started stepping back, moving to let her through. Dinah watched, frozen as her sister walked out. This shouldn’t be happening. Cass was one slip of paper in a bowl of thousands. The odds were so stacked. It was nearly impossible that she would be picked… nearly… 

Dinah’s feet are carrying her before she even knows she’s moving. She pushes through and out of her section, right into the walkway between the boys and girls sides. Two peacekeepers up ahead are reaching out to guide Cass up to the stage already.

“Cass!” She whips around at the sound of Dinah calling her name. “Cass, wait. No!” Dinah rushes forward, only to be grabbed by two other peacekeepers. “Wait no!” She shouts, fighting against their hold. They won’t let her through, but she has to get to Cass. She has to protect her. “I volunteer!” She yells. “I volunteer as tribute!” She forces her way through the two peacekeepers, stepping forward with determination. Cass’ eyes widen, and it feels like the oxygen throughout the square has been entirely used up. The crowd is somehow even more quiet than their silence before had been. The woman from the Capitol seems shocked for a moment.

“Well, I uh. I do believe we have a volunteer.” She says. Dinah runs up to Cass and leans down to look at her. She brushes some of Cass’ hair out of her eyes while she struggles for the right words.

“I- Cass, you need to go. You need to get out of here, okay?” Cass shakes her head.

“No, Dinah. You can’t go, I-”

“No, Cass, listen to me. You need to go find Laurel, okay? I’m sorry.” Dinah hates what’s happening, but there’s no other choice.

“No!” Cass keeps yelling at her. It’s the only word she can get out. Dinah can feel the tears trying to make their way out. This was never supposed to happen.

“I’m so sorry, kid, but you have to let me go.” The peacekeepers stand by them awkwardly, but Oliver comes to Dinah’s rescue. She didn’t see him coming, but he leans down and lifts Cass up into his arms with ease. She only screams louder, more desperate, and she thrashes against his hold. He looks at Dinah, jaw clenched and eyes pained. She feels terrible for this. He turns to carry her off and, probably, go find Laurel. The lady on stage clears her throat again, but awkwardly this time.

“Well, this has been quite a dramatic turn of events here in District 7. Well…” Dinah is moving. She knows that. She knows she’s walking towards the stage, but she doesn’t  _ know _ that until she’s at the steps and the woman is reaching down to guide her up. She walks up at a normal pace, but it feels like slow motion. Everything does. She glances off into the crowd. Oliver and Cass are nowhere to be seen. The woman places a hand gently on her back and guides her towards the microphone that she then moves to stand in front of once again. 

“What’s your name, dear?”

“Dinah Lance.” She answers.

“Well, Ms. Lance, do you know Cassandra?”

“She’s my sister.”

“Oh.” The woman seems to suddenly feel the gravity of things. She recovers quickly and shoves it off, though. “Well, let’s get a round of applause for Ms. Dinah Lance.” She claps encouragingly, but the crowd doesn’t join. Instead, it remains silent for a moment. Then, slowly, one by one, members of the crowd place their three middle fingers to their lips, and then raise them in the air. It’s a form of salute in District 7. It’s their way of saying thank you, or that they admire you… or goodbye to someone they love. District 7 is big, massive even, and the crowd reflects that. Dinah doesn’t know everyone there. Hell, she probably doesn’t even know a third of them. For a moment, though, they all know her. The woman says something about the boys, and moves to draw their name, but Dinah can’t be bothered to pay attention. She’s watching in the distance as Laurel cradles Cass to her chest and Oliver meets her eyes from beside them. She doesn’t want anyone to be hurt by this, but it was her only choice. She looks off in the distance, north, and wishes she had said yes.

“Barry Allen.” Dinah knows the name. Not well, but she does know it. She went to school with him. He’s from a family wealthier than most in the district, though, so it isn’t like they ever spoke to each other. She watches as he makes his way out of his section, the seventeen year old one, same as hers, and walks towards the stage. He has family, brothers and sisters, countless friends… but nobody to volunteer for him. Dinah thinks there’s maybe something to be said for that. He’s led up to stand on the other side of the microphone.

“Come on you two, shake hands.” The woman encourages. The two of them both turn awkwardly to each other and reach out to shake one another’s hands. Barry has soft hands. They’re nothing like Oliver’s or Dinah’s father’s or Sal’s or anyone else on the east side of the district. They aren’t worn and calloused. Dinah is slightly ashamed that her first thought is that he doesn’t stand a chance in the arena. She feels bad for him. He lets go of her hand and they step back apart. The woman adjusts her top hat and leans back into the microphone. 

“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.” Not even a split second later she’s guiding them both into the Hall of Justice, peacekeepers pulling the doors shut harshly behind them. She guides them wordlessly down a corridor and then stops at the end of the hall. There are two oak doors on either side of them. She smiles, and it’s odd. It’s quite possibly the fakest smile Dinah has seen in her life, and she saw plenty of them after her dad died.

“Now then, congratulations! I’ll be your escort leading up to the games. My name is Zatanna. You’ll each go in one of these rooms so your loved ones may come say goodbye to you, and then we’ll be on our way to the Capitol!” Dinah and Barry stand awkwardly, and Zatanna rolls her eyes and pushes them apart, each towards a different door. “Go on now!”

Dinah turns the knob on the door and steps in. Zatanna pulls it shut behind her, and the thud it makes signals for her to breathe. Everything happened so fast that she can hardly remember what exactly happened. The whole morning is a blur suddenly, but there are some clear spots in it. Singing to Cass, Oliver drawing in the mud with a stick, the way he smiled as they parted ways to head home, the echo of Cass’ name across the square…

“Dinah!” She spins around to see Cass rush to her. She opens up her arms to hug the crying girl. She’s not sure if Cass just started crying again or if she never stopped. Her mom stands behind her, eyes shining with tears of her own. 

“You have three minutes.” A peacekeeper tells them before shutting the door. Dinah lets go and drops down to meet Cass’ eyes.

“Cass, listen to me. It’s okay. We only have a few minutes, okay? I need you to hear me.” Cass nods at her. “Don’t take the tessara, okay? It isn’t worth it. You’ll be okay. You and mom can sell things at the market; Sal will teach you what to do. Oliver will bring you guys game as often as he can.”

“You have to try to win.” Cass says. “Just try.” Dinah swallows, nods a little.

“I’ll try. I’ll do my best, kid.” Cass nods and sniffles, then she looks down at her own hands. She uncurls her fingers to reveal the mockingjay pin in her palm. 

“It’ll protect you.” Dinah takes it, runs her thumb along the cool metal, and forces back her own desire to cry. She stands, stopping halfway up to lean in and place a light kiss against Cass’ forehead.

“Thank you.” She whispers. She steps around Cass and is immediately pulled into a hug by her mom. Her mom exhales into her shoulder, and it comes out sounding like a choked off sob. Laurel Lance is not one to cry. In fact, Dinah is pretty sure she’s never seen her mother shed a single tear, not even when her dad died, but now, she can feel her mom on the brink of shattering in her arms. Just as quickly as she starts to fall apart, Laurel is putting herself back together, though. She pulls back, takes a deep breath, and meets Dinah’s eyes with determination.

“You stay strong. You can do this. I know you can, Dinah.” She puts both hands on either side of Dinah’s face and wipes away a single tear with her thumb. She smiles, soft and sad. “You’re just like your father… so protective and brave… he would be heartbroken but so very proud.” The door swings open and the peacekeeper is standing there once again.

“It’s time.” Cass looks ruined, like she thought this wasn’t going to really happen. Her mother just nods at her and reaches out to take Cass’ hand. The peacekeeper leads them out quickly, slamming the door shut behind them. Dinah stands still for a moment, frozen. She thinks about leaving for a moment… could she run? The door swings back open, allowing Oliver in. He pulls her to a tight hug, and Dinah can no longer hold back the sob that’s been caught in her throat. He rubs a hand up and down on her back until she decides to separate from him. 

“You can win, Canary.” He tells her. “You’re strong, and fast. Almost as fast as me.” He offers a smile, an attempt to make things feel lighter, and then he goes serious again. “Get a bow. Or an axe. You’d be great with either.”

“They may not have them.”

“They will. Show them what you can do and they will. They just want a good show, that’s all.”

“There’s 24 of us, Ollie. Only one comes out.”

“Yeah,” He smiles encouragingly. “It’ll be you, Dinah.” The peacekeeper opens the door behind them again. That didn’t feel like three minutes. She pulls Oliver back into her arms; she needs it just one more time.

“Please don’t let them starve.”

“I won’t.” He promises.

“It’s time to go.” The peacekeeper says gruffly, unconcerned with their feelings. He grabs Oliver by the arm to pull him out, but Oliver’s eyes stay locked on Dinah.

“I’ll see you soon, alright?” And then he’s gone. The door shuts behind him, and Dinah is alone in the room again. She feels empty suddenly, and it lasts forever, the loneliness, emptiness, the silence… 

At some point Zatanna and a peacekeeper come to escort her out of the Hall of Justice and to a car. They only go a few blocks, so the car seems pointless to Dinah, but they stop right in front of the train station where the train that will take them to their deaths awaits. Zatanna spent the whole car ride talking about how beautiful the Capitol is and how good the food tastes and what the fashion is like. Dinah doesn’t care, though. It doesn’t matter how nice it is. A deathbed is still a deathbed even with satin sheets. 

A crowd has gathered at the train station to see them off. Dinah doesn’t know any of the people there, at least not well. She’s of course seen a few in passing, especially at the markets on either side of the district, but she doesn’t recognize any of them beyond that. It’s fine, though, seeing as how Zatanna and the peacekeepers are herding she and Barry onto the train like sheep to the slaughter. The door of their train car slides open, and she and Barry both step back a bit in shock, but Zatanna pushes them onward.

The car has crystal chandeliers, perfectly polished wood furniture, and an assortment of foods and drinks out on the finest china waiting for them. Dinah can’t deny how beautiful it is. She’s never seen so many symbols of wealth in one place. Barry is from one of the wealthier families in District 7 and even he hasn’t. The train starts up while they’re standing there taking everything in. Zatanna gestures to a set of four dark blue armchairs to their left. 

“You can take a seat if you’d like. Standing for the entire journey might get a bit tiresome.” Barry moves first, and Dinah simply follows him. “I’ll go see if I can find your mentor, Renee. She’s probably in the bar car.” Zatanna says, mumbling the last bit mostly to herself. The room is filled more with awkwardness than air the moment she leaves.

“Have you ever met Renee?” Barry asks, attempting to converse. Dinah doesn’t much want to talk to him, but she knows her mom would tell her to be polite, that making a friend, an ally, could be good.

“No. Seen her around though. She’s usually drunk.” Barry nods knowingly. It’s not surprising. Anyone in District 7 who knows anyone is aware that the district’s lone victor is a drunk. They also know she has no friends or family, though, so who’s to blame her?

“Yeah, hopefully she can stay sober enough to help us a bit. She did win these games once. She could be helpful.” Dinah doesn’t say anything in response. She’s not quite sure how she feels about Barry’s optimism. It’s like he’s forgotten what they’re up against already. She’s seen what kind of tributes get sent into that arena by the wealthier districts; a little advice from Renee won’t do much against that. As if on cue, the doors to the car slide open and Renee walks in, empty scotch glass in hand. She pauses for a moment on her way to the alcohol and offers an exaggerated smile to the both of them.

“Congrats.” Barry turns to look at Dinah in confusion and then back at Renee as she pours a bright amber liquid into her glass. Renee is short. That’s the first thing Dinah notes. She’s much shorter than Dinah remembered her being. The second thing is that she clearly does not give a shit. Renee goes to set the bottle down but then hums softly to herself and opts to just carry it with her as she moves to sit across from them. She huffs as she flops down into the chair.

“So uh. When do we like… get started?” Barry asks. Renee chuckles and takes a sip of her drink.

“Bit eager, aren’t ya?” Barry looks at Dinah like he’s looking for backup, which prompts Renee to look at her, but she chooses to say nothing. She doesn’t really want to do this right now anyway. Barry turns back on Renee.

“You’re our mentor. You’re supposed to help us get sponsors and give us advice.”

“Listen kid,” Renee says, leaning forward. “You want advice? Start with understanding and accepting that your odds of surviving this shit aren’t good. I’m not about to lie to you about anything. Especially not that.” 

“I want to make my odds better, though.” Barry pushes. Renee doesn’t seem impressed; she actually just looks vaguely irritated.

“You know what? I’m gonna go finish my drink in peace.” She tells them. She stands up and promptly leaves the room the same way she came in. Barry looks at Dinah in confusion for a moment, and then the look of determination appears again.

“I’m gonna go try and get her to come around.”

“Alright, good luck with that.” He follows after Renee through the door, and, yet again, Dinah finds herself alone. This time the feeling in the room doesn’t change like when her mom and Cass or Oliver left. She feels exactly how she did the moment she set foot on the train.

Dinah doesn’t really know what to do to pass the time. They’ll be on the train for… well, she doesn’t actually know how long. Zatanna has completely disappeared and it seems Barry and Renee are off either arguing or talking strategy. She could join them, but she isn’t sure she can stomach strategic talk just yet. She wanders over to the table where an assortment of foods and beverages are. It’s disgusting. She knows people in District 7 who are starving, and it isn’t hard to believe that most other districts suffer the same issue, yet the Capitol has plenty to stock all the train cars with. To stock the cabinets of everyone’s home in the Capitol. The home’s of the wealthy in one and two, maybe even four. She goes back to the chair she was occupying before; she figures there’s nothing better to do.

When she turns back she notices the screen on the wall. The only time they ever watch television back home is when it’s required, which is usually just the games. Her curiosity gets the best of her and, after a moment of looking around, she picks up the remote and turns it on. It’s automatically set to some kind of music channel; she flips through several of those until getting to a channel showing some kind of film about “the dark days.” It doesn’t interest her much, so she flips again, past a gardening show and a cooking show and about twenty other shows she couldn’t care less about, until John Constantine’s face is on the screen. He’s pointing at his own screens, three of them actually, right behind him, to the announcer of the games, Chas Chandler. 

John Constantine is the host of the Hunger Games; people in the districts recognize him better than anyone except President Sionis. He’s got golden hair and is wearing a glittery suit to match it. Chas, however, has short hair, so short it’s almost shaved, and it has elaborate designs shaved into it that look like vines and thorns. They’re like two sides of the same coin. Capitol fashion has never made much sense to Dinah, and she isn’t particularly excited to have to take part in it. John gestures to a boy on screen with huge arms and red hair; he’s built like how Dinah imagines Oliver would be if District 7 had a gym and nobody ever went hungry. He holds his chin up while walking onto the stage at his own reaping, as if he’s better than everyone else.

“He’s a career.” Dinah whips her head around to look at Renee. She hadn’t even heard her come in. The victor stands there watching John and Chas talk about the tribute, or, career, for a moment, then sits down in the chair beside Dinah with a small groan.

“He’s one of five 18 year olds, and from the looks of it he has everything viewers love to see! He’s strong, confident, well-trained… Write this name down, folks. Roy Harper out of District 2 will probably be a pretty safe bet.” John says. Chas starts to give his take on the boy, but Dinah is caught on what Renee said. She turns in her chair to look at her.

“What’s a career?”

“Thought you’d never ask.” Renee doesn’t even attempt to pretend she’s actually enthused. “In the richer districts, one, two, and four, you know, they have these things called career academies. They train kids from the moment they’re old enough to learn until they’re primed little serial killers. Then the kids volunteer and go into the games. It’s considered a huge honor in those districts; if you make it back you’re practically a legend.”

“Are they allowed to do that?” Renee laughs a little.

“No, of course not. The Capitol just… looks the other way for them because they like those districts more. I won’t lie to you, kid. They’re lethal as all hell.” Renee stands up and appraises the tribute on screen. They’re no longer talking about Roy Harper; instead, a tall brunette girl makes her way to the stage. Her eyes are trained ahead and focused. It’s different from the boy’s. Where he was composed and confident, she looks stoic and empty. “She looks pissed.” Renee seems impressed by that.

“Now this one,” Chas says. “I like this one. Helena Bertinelli. 17 years old. She’s 5 foot 8. Has been training since she was four. Rumors have it she’s skilled with most weaponry, just like many careers are, but she’s excellent with a crossbow and throwing knives. And look at that build! She looks stronger than female tributes normally are, too.”

“And correct me if I’m wrong, but her younger brother volunteered last year didn’t he?” John asks. Chas nods with excitement, and Dinah frowns. She remembers the previous year’s victor being a girl, so they’re definitely talking about a dead kid.

“He did! Giuseppe Bertinelli! He was only 12, which is awfully young for a volunteer, but he made it clear he wanted to be the youngest victor ever. Obviously, that didn’t pan out for him, but he did show off some fantastic swordsmanship and made it to the final five. I’m hoping the skills run in the family because I think Helena is my pick for this year!” Chas says, laughing lightheartedly at the end. He and John are all smiles and laughs like this is all nothing.

“12 years old…” Dinah whispers. Renee looks at her with something Dinah can’t quite figure out; it’s not pity or sympathy… almost understanding.

“It sucks.” Renee mumbles. Dinah knows what she means. She knows that Renee can see how she’s thinking about Cass, and she knows that Renee can see she’s trying not to imagine how she would react to Cass volunteering at only 12, but she also knows Renee has seen too much of it. Renee has been a victor and mentor for over 20 years. She doesn’t have much to offer as comfort and explanation, and she doesn’t seem like one for empty words either. Dinah and her both just look ahead at the girl on screen. Knife throwing, crossbow, strong, career, pissed… everything about the girl screams danger to Dinah. She makes a mental note to avoid Helena Bertinelli at all costs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading. i swear to god im actually going to be updating this fic consistently. ive put too much work into it to not.
> 
> please leave kudos and comments and whatnot. they motivate me to write way more than yall may realize and i appreciate them a fuck ton


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk. i have nothing to say but not putting anything here feels awkward so. heres chapter 2. please enjoy. leave comments and kudos and whatnot if you do.

When Dinah wakes up the following morning she’s the last to do so. Zatanna is doing her makeup in one of the four chairs in front of the television. Renee and Barry, however, are sitting at the table together eating breakfast. She watches Renee pour herself a cup of coffee and notes the lack of alcohol on the table. Either their mentor doesn’t get started that early or she’s trying to curb the habit for the games; Dinah is hoping it’s the latter. Their voices are silenced by the door, but the moment it slides open she discovers they’re discussing survival strategies.

“You would freeze to death, kid.” Renee doesn’t even look up from her plate.

“No,” Barry attempts to argue. “I wouldn’t because I would light a fire.” Renee scoffs.

“That’s a good way to get killed.”

“How is it a good way to get killed?” Dinah asks, deciding to join as she approaches the table. The two of them look up at her; Barry smiles, but Renee’s face stays neutral.

“Oh, well, good morning. Nice of you to finally join us. Come sit.” Renee tells her, gesturing to the chair between them with a hand that’s holding a slice of toast. “I was just giving some potentially life-saving advice to Mr. Allen here.” 

“Like what?” Dinah asks, sitting down at the table. 

“I was just asking how to find shelter.” Barry says.

“Of course, you have to make it far enough to need shelter first.” Renee says. It could be sarcastic, but Dinah sees past it. The victor isn’t _trying_ to be an asshole, she just doesn’t know how to help someone with a death sentence. Still, it doesn’t make her any less of an asshole.

“How do you find shelter?” Dinah pushes. Renee shakes her head a little, barely noticeable.

“Let me wake up, okay sweetheart? I’ve been doing this shit for twenty-four years now. I get tired fast.” Renee tries. She takes a flask out of the pocket of her dark grey robe and unscrews the top. Barry looks uncomfortable as she takes a swig before putting it back, but Dinah just glares at the older woman. “Now, could you pass the butter?” Renee asks, but she reaches for it anyway. Dinah acts on instinct, tired and pissed off instinct, and grabs the butter knife in front of her and stabs it into the table right between Renee’s thumb and pointer finger. There’s a dark scar running from the inside of the woman’s hand and up her arm. She doesn’t even flinch. Barry does, though, and Zatanna gasps from where she’s sitting behind them.

“Where are your manners?!” Zatanna exclaims. Renee narrows her eyes at Dinah and tilts her head like she’s thinking. She pulls the knife from the table and examines it for a moment.

“Congratulations. You killed a place mat… and it didn’t even scream.” She leans back in her chair. “You really want to know how you stay alive, Dinah? You get people to like you.” Dinah can’t stop her face from dropping a little. It isn’t that she’s unlikeable, because she’s not, Oliver likes her, and so do her mom and Cass and a lot of people at the market. She just… is hard to get to know. That makes it a little harder for people to like her. She knows that. Renee nods and smiles. “Not what you wanted to hear, huh? Well, lesson to both of you: when you’re in that arena and it’s a week in and you’re starving or freezing your ass off, some water, a knife, or hell, some matches, can mean the difference between life and death. You want to know how you get those things? Sponsors. You want to get sponsors? Get people to like you.” Renee uses the knife to put a small slab of butter onto her toast and starts spreading it. “A good way to do that it to not try and put a knife through their hands.”

“Holy shit,” Barry says. Dinah turns to look at him, but he’s looking out the window. “That’s it.” He gets up and rushes over to the window just as the Capitol comes fully into view. It’s got tall buildings and water and roads like Dinah has never seen in her life. “It’s huge.” Barry whispers, and suddenly Dinah is reminded of the fact that, even though he’s rich, Barry grew up in the exact same district she did. 

Everything darkens for a moment as they enter a long tunnel, and then, just as they’re exiting it, the sounds of people yelling and cheering start to get louder. There are dozens, maybe even hundreds, of Capitol citizens gathered in a crowd to see the train full of tributes arriving. They’re all in brightly colored outfits that are making Dinah’s eyes want to scream. It’s like Zatanna times ten and then dozens of them. They’re waving and yelling; she can hear her and Barry’s names in the mix as their windows come into view. Barry smiles and waves at them. He turns back to look at Dinah, smile not dropping for a moment, and gestures for her to join him.

“Come here!” Dinah doesn’t move. He turns back to keep waving at them. Dinah gets it, really, she does, but she is not about to parade herself around like a toy for these people. Renee sighs and holds the knife back out to her.

“You oughta keep this, sweetheart. He seems to know what he’s doing.”

\---

The moment the train doors slide open for them to step off, Helena is met with a woman who is far too energetic for her liking. She’s pale and blonde and has several tattoos that Helena can’t imagine any parents in the world would approve of. Her outfit is the same bright colors the rest of the people in the Capitol are wearing, but since she’s got skin the color of a canvas they look even brighter on her. Helena can feel a headache coming on already, but the moment she speaks it gets even worse.

“Hey there dollface!” Dick laughs and steps around Helena with his arms out to hug the woman.

“Hey, it’s my favorite victor!” She asks, letting him pull her into his chest. He sighs, content, before stepping back.

“Helena, this is your stylist, Harley Quinn. Harley, this is Helena.” He introduces. Harley grins at her, and Helena just nods. 

“Nice to meet you, but uh… aren’t stylists and tributes supposed to meet later?” Harley waves her off.

“Pffft. What can I say? I was excited to meet you! Anyway, do I look like someone who follows the rules to you?” Helena looks her up and down, but doesn’t say anything before Dick cuts in.

“I can’t imagine anyone who would look at you and think you would ever do what anyone else wants you to, Harley.” She spins on her heel to look at him.

“Good! That’s one of the many reasons that you love me.” She reaches out and taps her finger against his nose, causing him to raise an eyebrow in amusement. “Isn’t that right, Dicky?”

“Yeah,” he laughs. “Absolutely. Now, where’s the car? We have a parade to go get ready for.” Helena frowns, unable to stop herself. For a moment she managed to forget what she was there for. That she had to get dressed up and go be some kind of puppet for the people of the Capitol and the gamemakers and fucking President Sionis. 

“Pick that frown up, babe.” Harley tells her. “The Capitol snobs don’t care much for a scowl. Don’t go losing sponsors before I even had the chance to get them for you.” The woman winks and then is spinning around to head for a row of identical cars. Other tributes are getting in the cars, too, but it seems that each district has one that both tributes get in. Roy got in a completely different car than the one Harley is prancing towards. She looks at Dick, ready to question it, and he shakes his head.

“We’ll be in a separate car. This is the normal protocol for me. I don’t like to train my tributes with their counterparts. Roy will have his strategy and you will have yours. You can work with him if you want, but I won’t train you with him. Your strategy is about getting you out alive and you alone.” Helena is more than okay with that answer. Roy isn’t someone she wants to work with anyway. He’s been excited about the games. He and Jason spent the entire train ride it seemed talking about the most effective killing methods. Helena and Dick opted to play a few games of chess and relax instead. The only conversation she had about the games was when he went over the schedule leading up to them with her. Dick seemed to have confidence in her that he didn’t need to make every discussion about how to kill people or avoid being killed. “Is that okay?” He asks, snapping her out of it. He seems genuinely concerned for a moment. Helena nods and forces a smile.

“That’s- yeah. That’s okay.” She really is not trying to make things feel weird. He’s the mentor, the victor. He knows how to win and she should trust him. “So uh… you known Harley long?” Dick laughs and throws an arm over her shoulders and guides her in the direction of their car.

“Nine years. So, for a little while now. Why do you ask?” He grins, like he knows exactly why she’s asking. She shrugs, and he just chuckles under his breath a bit. It takes a moment, but then the number registers in her brain. Dick won the 65th Hunger Games, so-

“Was she your stylist?” Helena blurts. She isn’t sure why that surprises her so much. It shouldn’t, really. There’s no reason for that to shock her. “Like, during your games, was Harley your stylist?”

“Yeah, it was both of our first years.” He says, but he doesn’t laugh this time. There’s something dark in it. Helena realizes more with every moment he speaks that Dick doesn’t share the same… enthusiasm… for the games that so many other careers do. She appreciates that.

“Enough lolly-gagging!” Harley shouts as they approach. She’s standing there opening the door of the solid black car and jumping in. “I have to make you look perfect. Now, how do you feel about gladiators?” She asks as Helena slides into the backseat next to her.

\---

By the time Dinah is finally in a room by herself for a moment, she has decided that she is not a fan of anyone in the Capitol yet. Everyone looks fucking weird. She can’t get past it. It’s not even weird in the way that a wealthy girl in 7 looked weird showing up to school wearing pink makeup her parents had imported from District 1 or the Capitol. It’s weird as in eyelashes too long and hair too big and skin painted all the colors of the rainbow. She is not a fan. 

If that isn’t enough, they’re assholes for the most part. Getting bathed and having her legs waxed and everything else by complete strangers was already uncomfortable enough. She doesn’t appreciate the way her styling team was remarking about her being dirty under their breath. She’s from the district that is known for being in the middle of a forest and for chopping down trees. Did they think she would show up looking like she was sparkling like the careers from one and two probably did? She rolls her eyes and taps her finger softly on the cool metal of the table she’s sitting on. One of her stylists told her to lay down, but Dinah didn’t particularly feel up to cooperating with them, so she sat. 

The door to the room slides open and Dinah’s stylist walks in. She’s tall. That’s the first thing Dinah notices. The second thing she notices is how she looks so… normal. She has long red hair and green eyes that would immediately catch anyone’s attention. Neither of those features appear anything other than natural, though. She isn’t even wearing an outfit that looks wild or abnormal, just a black turtleneck and a pair of denim jeans. The only thing that would distinguish her from anyone in one of the districts is probably her emerald eyeliner. It’s comforting, really, to have someone who doesn’t feel so extravagant around her. The woman offers an easy and charming smile as she sticks out her hand.

“Hi, my name is Pamela. I typically go by Ivy, though. You can call me whichever.” Dinah takes her hand and shakes it.

“Dinah… Lance. Dinah Lance.” Ivy gives her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go and then hops up onto the table beside her.

“Well, Dinah Lance. Your reaping? The bravest thing I have ever seen. I’m sorry that this happened to you.” It takes Dinah by surprise to hear it. Nobody has said they’re sorry. Everyone has just said it’s an honor and that it’s something to be excited or proud about. 

“I’m uh… I’m used to people congratulating me.” Ivy shakes her head.

“I’m not gonna do that. I’m here to help you… However I can, and telling you ‘congratulations’ isn’t going to do much to help, so.” She exhales and clasps her hands together. “Tonight, you’ll be participating in the Tribute Parade. I’m guessing you’re probably familiar with it from watching the games in past years. We’re gonna send you out on that chariot and show you off to the world.”

“So you’re gonna make me look pretty?” Dinah asks.

“No,” Ivy says forcefully. “You are already gorgeous, Dinah Lance. I’m just going to help you make an impression. Now, usually they like to dress tributes in clothes that represent their districts, you know? Twelve as coal miners, ten as cowboys-”

“Seven as trees.” Dinah adds. Ivy nods and grins.

“I don’t want to do that, though. I think we can keep the theme of wood and lumber without making it look cheesy. I want to do something that the people will have no choice but to remember. Has anyone explained sponsors to you yet?”

“Yeah, but,” Dinah huffs. “I’m not sure I’m going to be much good at making friends.” Ivy hums to herself as she stands to face Dinah.

“I think somebody as brave as you deserves something better than a stupid costume, don’t you?” Dinah smiles a little for what feels like the first time all day. She likes Ivy. In fact, Ivy may be the first person she’s met so far that she does like.

“I hope so.”

\---

Most of the costumes the other tributes are in are bright and flashy. The tributes from District 1 are wearing bright pink and feathery costumes. District 4 are wearing bright blue costumes that have pearls all over them. District 10 are in cowboy costumes, but they’re a shiny silver to catch the eyes of everyone still. Dinah looks at the tributes from District 11 only for a moment before looking away. One of them was only a little girl, and the mere thought that someone Cass’ age is in the games… She can’t stand to think about it. Instead, she watches as the boy from District 2 flexes in his solid gold gladiator outfit to the amusement of the girl from four. The other tribute from his district, Helena, Dinah remembers, rolls her eyes at him, but then she turns her head a bit and meets Dinah’s gaze. It’s strong and unwavering, and it has Dinah spinning around quickly to find Ivy or Renee or whoever is closest. She doesn’t want to be on any of the careers’ radars.

“Dinah, over here!” Ivy calls out when she sees the girl looking for them. Dinah walks briskly over to where she’s standing with Barry and his personal stylist, Wally. Ivy is holding up a torch of some kind with a smirk. “I’m going to light you both on fire. Don’t worry, though. It isn’t real fire; it’s synthetic.”

“Uh. It looks pretty real.” Barry says nervously. 

“Good.” Ivy says. “That’s the point. I promise this is completely safe, though. Your suits are built so that you won’t feel a thing. Are you ready?” Ivy asks, moving to step behind Dinah. “Don’t be afraid, darling.”

“I’m not afraid.” Ivy pauses, and she meets Dinah’s eyes. She gives a short nod and smile. She believes her, and that alone makes Dinah feel even stronger. She stands still as Ivy leans down to light the cape of her costume. The whole thing is a dark brown, almost black color, and it’s mostly made from leather. The idea is firewood and, to be honest, Dinah thinks Ivy and Wally executed it well. At least, they will have if she and Barry don’t burn alive while being carted to the city’s center. Ivy steps out from behind her and goes to do the same to Barry’s. She was right. Dinah doesn’t feel a thing.

“Alright,” Ivy blows out the flame and steps aside, gesturing with one arm to their chariot as she does. “Up you two go.” Dinah and Barry step up onto the chariot beside one another and allow the two stylists to arrange them exactly how they want them. Once things are perfect, the two of them disappear. Barry lets out a shaky breath and glances at Dinah.

“Shouldn’t Renee be around here somewhere to make sure we don’t get sent into the arena all charred and shit?” Dinah asks, trying to keep the mood up. He smiles a little bit.

“We’re probably safer when she’s not around an open flame.” He remarks. With how tense everything has felt all day, both of them can’t help but laugh. The whole situation is so crazy, and nothing feels real at this point. Their laughter is cut off, though, by the opening music suddenly being blasted outside. The first chariot, District 1’s since they’ll go in numerical order, heads out into the street. The crowd screams with excitement, and cheers for the two tributes can be heard already. It’s clear that there are favorite district’s in the Capitol, but that’s no surprise to anyone. District 2 follows right behind them, and in almost no time Dinah feels the sleek black horses start to pull their chariot forward as well. Dinah looks to the side and spots Ivy watching them. The stylist gives a thumbs up to, but then, she grabs the hand of Wally, and raises it up.

“I think she wants us to hold hands.” Barry says, offering his left to her. Dinah nods absentmindedly and takes it. Unity. Ivy wants she and Barry to look unified. Dinah looks back over at the two stylists, and the last thing she sees before their horses step out into the view of the crowd is Ivy mouthing, “ _They’re going to love you_.”

The crowd is shocked, initially, as the District 7 chariot becomes visible, it’s tributes ablaze, but then, they roar back to life. The attention is pulled away from the chariots ahead of them. Everyone, it seems, is watching Dinah and Barry. She looks up at a large screen ahead to see their chariot being projected on it, and she understands why. They both look stunning with the dark colors and the fire ablaze on them. She looks at Barry, and he nods, knowing what she’s thinking. They raise their already joined hands up, and somehow the crowd gets even louder. Some of them are even chanting their names and throwing roses at them. It’s insane, really. Dinah finds it unsettling how they’re so excited about children being sent off to die in an arena, but the thought is overshadowed by how powerful she feels in the moment. The twelve chariots loop around in the city circle and stop there. As the music finishes with a flourish, President Sionis steps up to a podium high above them.

Dinah has only ever seen him through a television screen during important announcements or events, such as the Hunger Games. He looks shorter in real life. He doesn’t seem very old, but he’s not young either. He’s been President of Panem since he was 20 years old, having taken power 30 years ago immediately following his father’s untimely death. He has dark brown hair and is wearing a solid black suit with a single white rose in the chest pocket. The crowd quiets as he steps to the microphone in front of him. He smiles and waves as the last of the noise fades. 

“Welcome, welcome!” He announces. “Tributes, we welcome you all to the Capitol! We salute your courage and your sacrifice. And we wish you, happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.” The crowd goes wild again behind them, and Dinah and Barry share an uncomfortable look for a moment before the chariots start moving again to take them into the training center. 

“Didn’t realize how much of a celebration our deaths really were.” Barry mumbles as the horses trot to the nearby tower. Dinah laughs humorlessly. The horses pull into the building and stop to let the tributes off before being led away by a set of stablehands. Dinah sees their team of people, Ivy and Wally, Renee, and Zatanna, making their way over.

“That was incredible, darling!” Ivy says. “I told you they would love you.”

“We are all anybody is going to be talking about!” Zatanna exclaims. She seems the most excited of everyone, but that doesn’t particularly surprise Dinah.

“Very brave.” Renee says with a smirk. “I think that-” She stops suddenly, looking behind both tributes. Dinah turns to see what she’s looking at and finds Helena watching them carefully. She feels a pit in her stomach that she may have accidentally put a death warrant out for herself. Renee puts a hand on each of Dinah and Barry’s shoulders to guide them away. “Let’s head upstairs. Zatanna, would you like to lead the way?” The woman twirls enthusiastically and heads off down the hall, leading the group to an elevator.

“Each district gets their own entire floor! You’ll each get a bedroom and bathroom of your own, as will each stylist, Renee, and myself. There’s also a living space, a dining area, and a kitchen, though you won’t be needing that much because avoxes will be bringing and serving each meal for us.”

“Avoxes?” Dinah has never heard the word before. Renee can’t hide her frown as Zatanna taps the up button and elevator doors slide open to welcome them. 

“They’re uh, servants of the Capitol. After a serious crime has been committed, they’re sent here and uh… have their tongues cut out. They spend the rest of their lives doing some sort of job. Serving food, working in the sewers… all sorts of… undesirable jobs.” 

“Oh,” is all Dinah can say in response. Zatanna refuses to let the mood be ruined, though. She taps the number seven and the doors slide closed.

“I have been talking both of you up to sponsors all day long!” She brags as the elevator starts to go up. “Renee hasn’t told me much about either of your strategies,” Dinah tries not to laugh at the idea of Renee having a strategy for them. “But! I did tell them all about how you’re both very determined and brave. About how Dinah volunteered for her sister. I can’t close any sponsorships, that is up to Renee, but I do think I’ve helped you both to get a very good start.” The elevator doors slide open, and Zatanna leads them onto their floor. It’s bright, but in a tolerable way, unlike the rest of the Capitol. It’s also very open. Dinah can see every area Zatanna had mentioned earlier without even having to leave the entryway.

“You should both go change clothes. Take a shower if you want. Relax for a bit before dinner is server.” Ivy tells Dinah and Barry. They both just nod and head up a set of stairs that Wally points towards and then part ways into two rooms at the top. Things go from comfortable to awkward between Dinah and Barry at the drop of a hat, but she understands why. It’s hard to be friendly with someone you know is there to kill you, but it’s also hard to be stoic towards someone who hasn’t ever done anything wrong to you.

Dinah’s room is big. It’s even bigger than her entire house back in 7. It’s somewhat plush, and the tones of the room are dark. The closet and shower and just about everything else is so high tech that it takes Dinah a moment to figure out how to use all of it. She wonders if every tribute has the same struggle. Are the tributes from 1 and 2 accustomed to this kind of thing or is it like a whole new planet for them, too? She’d like to ask them, but it would be quite the task to do so while they’re fighting to the death. It’s only a few minutes after she’s successfully taken a shower and gotten into a comfortable pair of pants and a dark blue sweater that Zatanna calls her down for dinner.

They’re serving wine. Something Dinah has only ever had once or twice when her mom made it, and that was only on special occasions. It’s a bit dry, and fairly tart. She’d like to add something sweet to it, like honey or sugar, but decides against it. She has no way of knowing if that would be enough to offend someone. The meal itself is… so much. Mushroom soup, medium rare roast beef sliced paper thin, an assortment of greens and other vegetables and fruits, artisanal cheeses that melt on your tongue… It’s so much more food than Dinah has ever seen at one time. It’s enough to feed her and Oliver’s entire families and still probably have food leftover after. She tries not to dwell on the thought too much, but her mind gets stuck on Oliver. She wonders how he’s doing. The hunting is good this time of year with all the elk and deer migrating through the woods. Maybe he’s gotten something good. If he could-

“They’re calling you The Girl on Fire.” Ivy says, drawing Dinah out of her own head. 

“They are?” Renee nods.

“You two made quite the splash tonight!” Zatanna says. “John Constantine was raving about your performances while you both were freshening up.” Dinah tries not to be bothered by the use of the word ‘performance,’ and from the way his eyes narrow for a second at it, Barry is too. 

“The hand holding was a brilliant idea, Ivy.” Renee says, as she takes another sip of her wine. “The perfect touch of rebellion.” Dinah is confused at the idea of it being rebellious, but then she remembers how the other tributes were. How they stood so far apart in their chariots and barely seemed to acknowledge each other. She and Barry looked like a team. Friends instead of enemies. “You should both go get some sleep. I’ll meet you both down here in the morning beforehand so we can go over how I want you both to go about things.” Renee adds.

Dinah and Barry both head for their rooms while Renee and Ivy team up to tease Zatanna about her outfit. Barry pauses in his doorway, which causes Dinah to do the same and look over at him. He seems like he’s struggling for the words he wants to say.

“Good luck tomorrow.” She tells him, putting him out of his misery. He nods, and offers her a ‘you too’ in return, and they both slip into their rooms for the night.

\---

The first part of the morning is boring to say the least. Everyone gathers downstairs for breakfast, another meal with a selection much bigger than it needs to be, and afterwards they split off to do different things. Barry goes back to his room to rest for a little bit. Ivy and Wally leave to work on interview outfits. Dinah finds herself on the couch with Zatanna and Renee for a little while, watching Lex Luthor talk about first impressions of all the tributes with John Constantine, until it’s time for her to go get ready to head to training. She puts on the specific training outfits distributed to the tributes by the Capitol and then meets Zatanna, Renee, and Barry by the elevator.

“Think about the skills you have that could help you excel in the arena. Maybe you know how to tie knots or you know your way around a specific weapon or you know how to camouflage yourself well… whatever it is that you’re really good at it, do NOT show it in training until your private session with the gamemakers. Learn something new instead. Don’t know how to throw a knife? Go learn. Don’t know how to build a fire? Go learn. Got it?” Renee asks. Barry and I both nod. “We can discuss the skills you do have later when you’ve returned. You both can also take some time today to think about whether or not you want to be trained individually and let me know that also.”

“What do you mean?” Barry asks.

“Sometimes tributes prefer to be trained on their own. There’s nothing wrong with that. Some tributes even prefer to have separate mentors, but since I’m the only living victor in 7 you don’t get much choice there. I could train the two of you separately if you wanted, though. Just think about it.” Renee informs. She looks between the two of them waiting for a question. When there isn’t one, she continues. “Even if you decide to be trained separately, I want you to be spending a lot of time in these training sessions together. We’re presenting the two of you as a united front. A team. We want everyone in the Capitol, especially the other tributes and mentors, thinking that you’re a pair. It makes you a bigger target maybe, but only to the careers, and they’re already gunning for everyone anyway. It’s more difficult to take on a pair than a lone tribute, though, so this could scare off any non-career that may want to make a play at either of you. It’s best you two don’t initiate any kind of interaction with other tributes either, at least for this first day. Understood?” Barry nods.

“Don’t show off our best skills, learn something new, stick together, and no making friends. I think we’ve got it.” Dinah says. Renee pats her on the shoulder.

“Zatanna will take you two down to the training center but from there it’s just you and all the other tributes. She and I will be going and working on getting some sponsors while you’re there. Good luck, okay?” Barry and Dinah nod again.

“Thank you, Renee.” Barry says as she walks off. Zatanna claps her hands together to get the attention of the two tributes and gestures towards the open elevator.  
“Let’s be on our way then, shall we?” The elevator ride down is only about a minute long, but the anxiety of seeing, and potentially interacting with, all the other tributes makes it feel like an hour. Dinah chews at her bottom lip nervously. The moment the doors slide open she stops, though. She doesn’t want anyone seeing and taking it as a sign of weakness.

The training area is like a massive gymnasium filled with stations of different kinds. Most of the stations are for various weapon training, but there are others that look to be more about survival skills. The tributes that are already there are gathered around the center in a circle where a tall woman stands with a clipboard. The tributes from 1, the boy from 2, and the girl from 4 seemed to have formed a group together. It’s unclear whether Helena is part of their group. She’s standing with them, but she isn’t engaged in the conversation they’re having. Dinah looks away before she notices, though. The last thing she needs is more attention from the tall girl, especially if she’s teaming up with the rest of the careers. The rest of the tributes must have arrived because the woman in the center clears her throat. 

“In two weeks, 23 of you will be dead. One of you will be alive. Who that is can often depend on how much attention you pay in the next few days as you train. As a rule, there is no fighting with the other tributes. If you would like to train with a partner, we have assistants around the center that you may request. My advice to you is that you do not ignore the survival skills. Tributes always want to rush to a sword or an axe, but many of you will die from natural causes. Dehydration, starvation, freezing to death… Exposure can kill just as easily as a knife. Best of luck. Get started, tributes.” The tributes break apart and go to find a station to start with. Dinah watches as the boys from one and two immediately head to grab swords and spears. The girls from one and four go to the target area, grabbing a bow and throwing knives respectively. Helena slips off on her own to the climbing station. 

“Where do you want to start?” Barry asks. 

“We could uhh tie some knots?” Barry nods.

“Sounds good. Lead the way!” They make their way over to the station. One tribute is already there. The girl from 11. She’s incredibly small, mostly because she’s easily the youngest of them all. Dinah feels her heart clench; that could have been Cass.

The instructor in the station shows them a simple but effective trap that will leave an enemy dangling by their ankle if they step into it, and then he steps away to let them practice at it. She and Barry are both walking through each step slowly but surely when Dinah notices the younger girl struggling with her knot. Apparently she isn’t the only one who does, though, because Helena, who is walking past with a spear in hand, pauses and approaches the girl. Dinah freezes, worried that the career is going to try and take advantage of the girl’s naivety to get information from her, but Barry puts a hand on her wrist to keep her from intervening.

“Which knot are you trying to tie?” Helena asks as she sets her spear so that it’s leaning against the table and squats down beside the girl. It’s the first time Dinah’s ever heard the girl’s voice, and it’s much softer than she expected from someone who was expected to be a hardened warrior. The younger girl points at a picture on the screen on the table. Helena smiles. “Oh, that’s a good one! You can use it for snares, nets… all kinds of stuff. Want me to help show you?” The girl nods, and Helena grabs a nearby rope. Dinah watches as the career starts tying the knot in question effortlessly, guiding the other tribute along with her through each step and making sure she’s got it. “Then you just, pull both ends nice and tight.” Helena says, tugging the ends of the rope so that the knot forms perfectly in the middle. The girl follows her lead, and her rope does the exact same.

“I did it!” She exclaims. Helena grins.

“Yeah! You did great!” The girl looks at her with a shy smile.

“Thank you… uh…”

“Helena.” She says sticking her hand out. The little girl shakes it eagerly.

“Thank you Helena. I’m Terra.” Helena stands back up, and Dinah is reminded of how intimidating the girl could be if she wanted to. She grabs her spear and twirls it lightly in her hand. The girl looks at her almost in awe and whispers, “If you want later, I can teach you about some plants.” 

“I would like that.” Helena says, she goes to walk out of the station, but turns back for a moment. “Keep practicing and you’ll get it perfect every time, Terra!” Helena walks off, heading to the long row of targets where the other careers are standing. The boy from her district grins and pats her on the back like they’re old friends. Dinah can’t quite tell where Helena stands or what kind of opponent she’ll be, and it only serves to make her more anxious.

She and Barry pass the rest of the day by going station to station. Knot tying to climbing to camouflage to spear throwing to shelter and fire building. They go to all the stations they can, stopping only when they’re sent to lunch and then immediately resuming afterwards. It’s boring for the most part. Dinah learns new things and they make small talk and bond a little, but for the most part her attention bounces between Terra and the career pack, particularly Helena. Helena doesn’t separate from them after leaving the knot tying station except for immediately after lunch when she meets Terra in the edible plants station, but she returns to them after that just in time to show off her skills in hand-to-hand combat. They’re taking turns throwing spears at human shaped targets when Dinah decides to ask Barry’s opinion.

“What do you think of them? The five over there.” She gestures vaguely towards where the boy from 1 and the girl from 4 are taunting a kid in the climbing station while Helena and the other two seem to make small talk. Barry shrugs.

“I don’t know. They seem dangerous. They’re from 1, 2, and 4 right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, the way I see it, they don’t know how it feels to go hungry, so… just outrun them long enough and you’ll probably stand a decent chance I guess.” He turns back to the targets to go back to throwing his spear while Dinah considers his words. She doesn’t know which she’s more surprised by: that she hadn’t considered how being well fed their whole lives would hurt the careers or that she hadn’t even thought Barry had gone hungry before. She brushes the second one off and focuses on the newfound advantage. They keep throwing spears together until they’re dismissed for the day.

\---

“So, see anything interesting today? Learn anything good?” Renee asks them at dinner. Barry looks to Dinah to see if she wants to speak or if he should. She doesn’t get why he won’t just go ahead and say whatever he’s thinking, but takes the lead and speaks anyway.

“Spear throwing was kind of fun. Learned a new knot or two. A good trap. The careers did a lot of showing off today.” Renee sighs and pours herself another glass of scotch.

“They’ll do that. They just want to intimidate everyone in there. They don’t bother to learn anything new. Just chuck around a few weights, throw a spear, swing a sword around, and goof off.”

“The girl from 2 was different, though.” Dinah adds without thinking. Renee leans back and raises an eyebrow at her.

“What do you mean by that?” She asks. Everyone’s attention is on Dinah suddenly, and it’s a bit suffocating.

“She just… I don’t know. She was different. She left the group every now and then to go do something on her own. I saw her helping the little girl from 11 learn to tie a knot, and then later after lunch the girl was teaching her about edible plants. I don’t know she just… she didn’t seem as arrogant as the rest of them.” Renee seems to be thinking for a moment.

“Her mentor is Dick Grayson.” Ivy says nonchalantly from where she sits, sipping at her wine. Renee and Zatanna both give her a questioning look and she shrugs. “I’m friends with her stylist. We met up for lunch the day the tribute train arrived and she mentioned that she was looking forward to seeing him.”

“Dick Grayson is quite the mentor to have.” Zatanna says dreamily. Dinah’s eyes narrow at the tone of her voice. She doesn’t want to see her escort fangirl over another tribute’s mentor.

“Who is Dick Grayson?” Barry asks. Renee sets her drink down.

“He’s a victor from District 2. Was a career back in his games. His games were the shortest in history because he hunted down every tribute he could without stopping. Kid didn’t even stop to sleep. He stopped once to eat and drink some water after killing six kids in the bloodbath and then ended up killing nine more. Last cannon went off after only 29 hours.” Renee sighs and leans in, placing her elbows on the table. “He’s one of the most lethal victors in history. A Capitol favorite because of it. He’ll be pulling in sponsors for that girl left and right unless she does something stupid.” She focuses her gaze on Dinah. “You don’t want to ally with her, sweetheart.”

“I didn’t say I wanted to be her ally.” Dinah snaps, feeling defensive suddenly. “I just said she seemed different from the rest.” Renee puts her hands up to show she means no harm.

“Anyway, I assume you two did some thinking. Have y’all decided if you want to be trained together or not?” 

“I’m okay with being trained together. As long as Dinah is, of course.” Barry answers. Dinah doesn’t particularly care. 

“I’m okay with it.” She says. Renee nods.

“Alright, now, skills. Do either of you have any special skills? Dinah, I already know you’re pretty good with a knife.”

“Not really.” Dinah says. “I’m alright with a bow, though.”

“She’s better than alright. My father buys her squirrels. He says she hits them right in the eye every time.” Barry tells Renee, but he’s looking at Dinah with an encouraging smile. Something about it pisses her off.

“Barry is strong.” Dinah says, turning to look at Renee. “He won the wrestling competition at our school last year.”

“What use is that? I’m not going to wrestle anyone to death.”

“No, but you’ll have a better chance of winning if someone comes at you with a knife.” Dinah argues.

“I have no chance of winning! None!” Barry yells, slamming his fist on the table. Zatanna and Wally both flinch, but Ivy and Renee just share a surprised look. “You know what my mom said when she came to visit me? She said District 7 might finally have a new winner. She wasn’t talking about me, though. She was talking about you.” Dinah looks back down at her plate in discomfort. “I’m not hungry.” Barry says, getting out of his chair and storming off to his room. Dinah somehow feels even more uncomfortable after his exit. She sets her fork down softly and scoots her chair back.

“I’m done too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter ends in a weirder place than i intended bc it got way too long for one chapter and had to be split up. but if it helps chapter 3 will be here in like. less than 48 hours. so.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me pausing building a massive farm in minecraft to post this chapter for yall? its more likely than you think.

Training is awkward the following day, to no one’s surprise. After making the rounds on the stations they didn’t make it to on the first day, they head over to the camouflage station. Barry seems to like it well enough, and Dinah feels like she owes him after the events of the previous night. She didn’t mean to upset him. She just… She doesn’t really know what she was doing, actually. He was just trying to help her.

Barry is good at it, the camouflaging, like really good. Dinah isn’t quite sure where he learned to do it, but she hopes he can find a good use for such a skill in the arena. It shouldn’t go to waste. He’s painting his arm in an intricate manner so that it looks like tree bark while Dinah just makes an attempt to make her hand look vaguely leafy. He stops after a moment, glances up, and then looks back down at his arm. 

“I think you’ve got a shadow.” Dinah turns around to look, but only catches a small glimpse of Terra watching her before the girl disappears around a pillar. Dinah turns back to keep practicing the skill Barry has already mastered. She doesn’t want to think about Terra or how small she is or how much of a chance she has of dying or how much she reminds her of Cass. She just tries to ignore her presence whenever she feels it.

Dinah and Barry attempt to make small talk and look normal, but by the time they’ve gotten through lunch they agree to spend the afternoon doing some things separately. Dinah decides to try her hand at knife throwing, so she heads over to the targets where a rack of knives is. She looks over them all carefully, trying to decide where to start.

“Are you familiar?” Dinah jumps at the voice, and spins around to find herself face to face with Helena. Even from just a few feet away, the career looks intimidatingly tall, but up close Dinah realizes the girl only has a few inches on her. It doesn’t make her build less intimidating, though. Her arms are still muscular enough to rival Oliver’s. Dinah really doesn’t want to give Helena any reason to come after her during the games.

“Uhh… No, not really. Knives aren’t my thing.”

“Do you have a thing? Other than camouflage?” Dinah narrows her eyes at the girl. She can’t tell if it’s the way she’s asking about Dinah’s skills or how she’s noticed the amount of time she’s spent in the camouflage station that has her on edge. “Don’t look at me like that. I know you’ve been watching what I do, too.” Dinah blushes and looks back at the rack of weapons. Knives, throwing stars, hatchets… there’s a lot to choose from. “I could teach you.” Dinah whips back around.

“What?” Helena reaches across her awkwardly and grabs a few of the knives without even thinking about which ones she takes.

“To throw knives. I could teach you how… If you wanted.” She clarifies awkwardly. Dinah still isn’t sure she can trust her, but there’s no harm in picking up a new skill, so she nods and steps over to the red line on the floor. Helena hands her a knife. Dinah holds it up awkwardly.

“How am I supposed to…?”

“Like uh,” Helena reaches up and angles Dinah’s wrist gently. “Like this, and then you’ll need to stand um.” She steps around to stand behind Dinah and uses her hands to adjust her shoulders and hips, then taps her feet together carefully with her own so that they’re much closer together. “Like that. Good.” Dinah can’t help but notice how awkward the normally aloof and confident career has become. “Just stay relaxed. Keep your back straight, and when you throw it you’ll just keep your arm pretty straight. Release the knife once your arm reaches like, a 45 degree angle. Don’t flick your wrist because it can affect your aim.” Helena steps back and Dinah takes that as her cue to go for it. She takes a deep breath and tries to follow the instructions given to her. The knife flies towards the target and sticks in it with a loud thump. She completely missed the target. The knife is sticking out of the leg of the human shape on the wall. 

“Well, that sucked.” Dinah huffs. 

“No, not really. Aim comes with practice. The key is being able to get it to stick.” Dinah turns to look at Helena.

“Can you show me?” The taller girl looks confused for a moment.

“Like? How I throw them? You want to see me throw knives?” Dinah grins, finding the awkward confusion endearing in a way, and she steps back to let her show off her skills. Helena steps over, sparing Dinah a cautious glance as she does so, and then steps into her stance like she’s done so probably more than a thousand times before. Dinah steps around her and over closer to the rack but keeps her eyes on the career. She grabs a hatchet off the rack while Helena sends all four of her knives flying consecutively into their own bullseyes like it’s nothing. It’s impressive, honestly. As an archer, Dinah can appreciate a good marksman when she sees one. She notices one of the targets empty, though.

“You missed one.” Helena shrugs.

“Technically, you did. I had five knives for five targets. I gave you one. You missed.” Dinah walks around her with a hum and stops at the line. She can’t help but smirk as she turns quickly and throws the hatchet in her hand. It lands right on the empty bullseye, even shaking the target a bit with its force. Dinah turns to find Helena looks at her with wide eyes and a mouth agape.

“That was- God, that was good. Can you teach me that?” Dinah laughs and pats Helena on the shoulder.

“Nope.” She answers before sauntering off to go find Barry.

\---

The next morning, the tributes are made to wait outside the training area until their name is called for private assessment. Renee described it as their best opportunity to show off their skills to the gamemakers. It’s their chance to show off the things they’re been hiding from the other tributes. The tributes are all called out one by one in order of districts, and once they’re finished they exit and head straight for the elevator. Nobody sticks around. 

“Shoot straight.” Barry whispers to Dinah when her name is called. She whispers a ‘thanks’ and heads into the room. She doesn’t even hesitate, heading straight for the bow and arrows. She waits for a moment to make sure she has the attention of all the gamemakers. They’re mostly chatting amongst each other and seem uninterested, but Lex Luthor, the head gamemaker, nods for her to begin, so she settles for the attention she does have. She draws the arrow back, and aims for the head of a target. She misses by several inches. A few gamemakers laugh, some shake their head. Dinah writes the miss off as just nerves and goes for another arrow. She draws again, but this time, the arrow hits its mark, nailing the small bullseye on the target's chest. She turns, hoping to see the impressed faces of the gamemakers, but they’ve turned their attention away.

“Who ordered this pig?!” Lex yells as he gets up to go goof off with a few others gathered around a large roast pig with an apple in its mouth. She’s pissed at the lack of interest being shown by them. She’s trying to make sure she has a chance at making an impression with sponsors. At winning. She grabs an arrow and pulls it back, completely run by instinct, and shoots. The arrow zips through the air, snagging the apple from the pig’s mouth on its way and piercing it against the wall. Every gamemaker in the room turns to stare at her and she slams the bow down on the rack it came from.

“Thank you,” she does an exaggerated curtsy, “for your consideration,” and storms out of the room.

\---

“Are you insane?” Zatanna yells. Dinah shrugs, unconcerned with the whole thing. She would be worried, but when she explained to them all what she did Ivy just shrugged, and Dinah trusts nobody on her team’s judgement more than Ivy. If she isn’t worried, then neither is Dinah. 

“I just got pissed off.” She grumbles. Zatanna paces behind the couch, a bundle of nerves.

“Pissed… You just got… Pissed off? You-”

“Zatanna, relax. They just want a good show. It’s fine.” Ivy attempts.

“How about it’s just bad manners, Ivy? How about that?” Ivy turns and offers and just looks at Dinah and Barry on the other end of the couch like she’s trying not to laugh. Zatanna turns at the sound of Renee coming down the stairs. “Finally! Did you finally realize that we have a serious situation on our hands?” Renee looks at Zatanna like she’s crazy and then turns her attention to Dinah.

“Nice shooting, sweetheart.” She says, before walking around the corner of the couch to sit by Ivy.

“Tell me again. What was it you said? ‘Thanks for-’”

“Your consideration.” Dinah answers. Renee laughs loudly, and Ivy, Wally, and Barry all chuckle a bit. Dinah can’t even hold back her own small laugh.

“This isn’t going to be funny if the gamemakers decide to take it out on-”

“On who, Zatanna?” Renee asks. “On her? On him? They already have.” She leans in to look Dinah in the eyes. “I would have given anything to see that, Dinah.” Zatanna huffs and sits on the couch with them. Ivy grabs the remote from the coffee table and flicks the television on so that they can watch each tribute’s score be announced. John Constantine is his usual, excited self, as he explains the procedure for score announcing, even though it has never changed. The career pack ranges in 8’s to 10’s, as is expected, including Helena scoring herself a 10. Dinah can’t tell how that makes her feel, but she thinks it might be pride? Barry scores an 8, earning a round of cheers and congratulations from the group.

“From District 7, Dinah Lance,” John starts. The room goes entirely silent and Dinah leans forward. “A score of… Eleven.” The group erupts. Ivy and Zatanna both jump up in excitement while Renee pats Dinah on the back.

“I thought they would hate me.” She says in shock. Renee smiles.

“They must have liked your guts, kid.”

“To Dinah Lance,” Ivy says, toasting with Wally and Zatanna. “The girl who is on fire!”

“Congratulations.” Barry offers awkwardly before getting up and heading for his room. Dinah moves to follow, but Renee stops her.

“Let him go. He just needs a bit. Celebrate.” And they do. They all celebrate the good scores with wine while Ivy and Wally tell them all about the outfits they have planned for her and Barry for the interviews until dinner is served. Zatanna calls for Barry to join, but when he doesn’t do so Renee heads for his room. Dinah tries not to worry or bring down the good mood, but then Renee returns without Barry trailing behind her. She takes a seat next to Dinah and accepts a glass of wine offered by an avox.

“Listen, so tomorrow is the last day, and they let us work with our own tributes right before the games, so you and I will be going down at 9:00, okay?”

“What about Barry?” The table grows silent. 

“He uh, he wants to be trained on his own from now on.” Renee sees the confused and upset look on Dinah’s face and gives her a sympathetic look. “This happens a lot at this point, sweetheart. There is only one winner in the end.”

\---

“You, Dinah Lance, look amazing.” Ivy says. They’re backstage in a dressing room preparing for interviews. Every other member of the team has left, so it’s just the two of them. Dinah stares at herself in the mirror. The red dress Ivy designed is absolutely gorgeous, but it just… Dinah doesn’t feel good about any of this.

“I don’t feel amazing.” She says, turning to face the stylist.

“Don’t you know how beautiful you look, darling?”

“No! And I don’t know how to make people like me.”

“You made me like you!” Ivy stands up from the chair she’s sitting in.

“That doesn’t count. I wasn’t trying.” 

“Exactly, Dinah. Just… be yourself. I’ll be in the audience. Just pretend you’re talking to me. Okay?” Dinah nods. “Good. Let’s go.”

Ivy guides her out to a hallway leading to the stage where all the other tributes are getting lined up to await their turn. They all get in order, and soon enough after, the first tributes are called on stage. Dinah watches the screen above their heads as each interview happens. The careers, with the exception of Helena, are  _ exactly _ what she expected: arrogant, loud, determined, and the crowd fucking loves them. Helena is just as charismatic on stage as she is in person, but the awkwardness is absent. She’s confident and composed, answering John’s questions easily and with a smile. The only time it fades is when she’s asked about her brother’s death in the games the year before, and if she has a vendetta against the district his killer came from. The question makes Dinah cringe, but the way Helena softens and explains why her answer is ‘no’ reminds her of how gentle the career was with Terra. John thanks her for her time and sends her off, and as she walks past Dinah mouths ‘ _ good job _ ’ to her, trying not to pay too much attention to the way she looks in her white pantsuit with gold accents. Dinah starts feeling nervous right as she’s led up the steps by a stagehand.

“From District 7,” John announces. “You all know her as The Girl on Fire!” The crowd cheers with excitement. “But we know her as the lovely Dinah Lance!” Music plays as Dinah walks out to the cheers and applause. It all feels muffled, though. She looks around the audience in search of Ivy as John gestures for her to sit. She spots Ivy, but the stylist gesturing towards John draws her attention to the fact that she missed a question. He looks at her in anticipation.

“I’m sorry what?” She asks. He and the crowd both laugh.

“Someone’s a little nervous. No worries, though, Dinah. I said that was quite an entrance you made at the tribute parade. Do you want to tell us about it?” Dinah looks back at Ivy, and immediately she feels more at ease.

“I was just hoping I wouldn’t burn to death, to be honest.” The crowd laughs again, but Dinah manages to laugh with them a little. It all feels so weird. She doesn’t understand how Helena did it.

“When you came out on that chariot, I cannot lie to you, my heart stopped.” John turns to the crowd. “Did any of you experience that as well?” There are several whistles and yells in the crowd. “My heart stopped,” he reiterates.

“So did mine.” He laughs, flashing a perfect white smile towards Dinah and then the crowd as he does so.

“I mean, those flames? Tell me about them! Are they real?” Dinah remembers what Ivy told her earlier.

“Yes,” she looks to the crowd, and sees Ivy nod. “In fact, I’m wearing them now. Would you like to see?” The crowd cheers again, but John looks a little apprehensive, even if it’s for show.

“Is it safe?” He laughs.

“Of course.”

“Well then, what do you say people?” He shouts. The crowd gets even louder than it has before and he gestures for Dinah to stand. She takes a deep breath in and then does several spins that cause the synthetic flames at the bottom of her dress to flicker to life. The crowd, and even John a little bit, lose it. She stops spinning when she starts to feel dizzy.

“Woah, be careful.” He says, reaching out to make sure she gets back to her seat safely. “That was really something, Dinah. That was something. Thank you for that.” He pauses to let the crowd quiet down before looking at her seriously. “I have one more question for you. It’s about your sister.” He adjusts how he’s sitting to lean forward in his sparkly suit and takes her hand in his. “We were all so very moved, I believe, her you volunteered for her the reaping. Did she come to say goodbye to you before you left?” Dinah swallows, resists the urge to cry at the thought of Cass being reaped and Cass saying goodbye, and nods.

“Yes, she did.” She whispers.

“She did.” He repeats, making sure the mics and crowd heard the confirmation. “And, in the end, what did you say to her?”

“I told her I would try to win. That I would try to win for her.” Dinah answers honestly. The crowd lets out a series of ‘awws.’

“And try you will.” John says, and it, oddly enough, makes Dinah feel more confident. “Ladies and gentlemen, from District 7,” he stands up, pulling her gently with him, and raises her arm up. “Dinah Lance, The Girl on Fire!” He lets her stand in the applause and cheering for a moment and then gently nudges her offstage. Dinah walks across the stage the way she came on and down the steps where Zatanna is waiting for her.

“You did lovely, Dinah. That was incredible. Job well done.” She showers her with praise and walks her over to where Renee is standing. The victor does a small clap and smiles.

“Good job, sweetheart.” Barry is called onstage behind them, but Dinah is too focused on the scene playing out several yards away from them. Ivy is conversing with what looks like another stylist and a mentor when she laughs at something that dark haired man says and then leads him towards where Dinah, Zatanna, and Renee are standing.

“Everyone, I would like to introduce you to-”

“Dick Grayson!” Zatanna exclaims, sticking her hand out for him. “What an  _ honor  _ it is to meet you.” Ivy rolls her eyes as Dick takes the escort’s hand and kisses her empty ring finger.

“The pleasure is all mine, ma’am.” He’s so charming that it’s disgusting, and suddenly Dinah sees where Helena learned it from.

“Yes, Dick Grayson, but also,” Ivy says, gesturing towards the pale woman beside her. “My dear friend and fellow stylist, Harley Quinn. Respective mentor and stylist of District 2.”

“Dick.” Renee barely acknowledges him, and Dinah wonders if there’s a story there. “Nice to meet you, Harley.”

“Renee.” Dick acknowledges back in return, but his tone is lighter and the way he’s smiling makes Dinah think whatever happened between them was his fault. “How has training been going, Dinah? An eleven is quite the score. Do something exciting for it?”

“Don’t answer that.” Renee says in a rush, putting a hand up to stop Dinah, even though the tribute didn’t plan on saying anything. She looks at Dick with a glare. “You worry about your own tribute. Mine is none of your business.” He puts his hands up in surrender.

“My tribute is already headed back to get a good night’s rest before tomorrow. I don’t need to worry about her. I just thought I’d try to make conversation with the girl who seems to have the world’s attention. That’s all.”

“Ms. Quinn, may I just say, your work this year has been phenomenal.” Zatanna attempts to change the subject. Dinah looks at Ivy in confusion. Zatanna is nice, sure, but this is downright ass-kissing behavior, and what for? Ivy just shrugs at her.

“Aw, thank you doll! Nothing compared to what Pamela has done, though!” Harley says. Dinah tries not to look surprised at someone calling Ivy that. Sure, it’s her name, but she’s never heard it used after Ivy introduced herself. Harley looks at Dinah with a grin. “You’ve looked incredible, girlie.” 

“Thank you.” Dinah says with a nod.

“He’s quite charming.” Dick says, eyes on the screen behind them as Barry exchanges friendly banter with John. Dinah and Zatanna turn to watch with the rest of them.

“So Barry, tell me, is there a special girl back home?” John asks. Barry shakes his head and chuckles to himself.

“No? I don’t believe you for a second! You’re handsome and funny. Tell me about it, Barry.” He hesitates for a moment, taps his foot somewhat anxiously.

“Well uh, there is this one girl that I’ve had a crush on for what feels like forever, but I don’t think she even knew who I was until the reaping.” Dinah thinks it’s kind of weird that Barry never mentioned it. He asked about Oliver more than once and if they were dating. Why couldn’t he have mentioned if he had a crush on someone?

“I’ll tell you what, Barry. You go out there and win these games, and when you get home she’ll have to go out with you. Right, folks?” The crowd claps in response.

“Thanks, but I don’t think winning is gonna help me at all.” Dinah’s eyes narrow in confusion.

“And why not?” Barry takes a deep breath.

“Because she came here with me.” The crowd gasps, and they aren’t alone; Harley and Zatanna both do, too. 

“Well, shit.” Dick whispers. “Harley, perhaps we should go before the fireworks start.”

“But I love fireworks.” Dinah ignores the rest of their bickering as Helena’s mentor drags her stylist away. 

“Well that’s bad luck.” John says.  _ Bad luck? He’s going to think bad luck _ , Dinah thinks. John stands and wishes Barry good luck and gives him the same farewell every other tribute got before sending him offstage. Barry gets maybe three steps away from the staircase before Dinah has him pinned against the wall, arm pressing to his neck.

“What the hell was that? You don’t want to talk to me or train with me anymore and then you tell the whole fucking world you have a crush on me? Is this how you want to play?”

“Stop it!” Renee yells, as Ivy pulls Dinah back. “Stop it!”

“Let’s start right now, Barry!”

“Hey!” Zatanna shouts.

“He did you a favor, Dinah!” Renee says. 

“Bullshit, he made me look weak.”

“He made you look desirable, sweetheart.”

“She’s right, darling.” Ivy offers, finally letting go of Dinah.

“This is good,” Renee explains. “Because now, I can sell the star-crossed lovers of District 7 to every single sponsor I meet.”

“We are  _ not _ star-crossed lovers.” Dinah growls out.

“It is a television show!” Renee yells, getting in Dinah’s face. The smell of whiskey on her breath makes Dinah feel sick. The mentor takes a breath, pinching the bridge of her nose with two fingers. “Being in love with that boy might just get you sponsors which could save your goddamn life.” She adds, voice lower than before. “Okay, both of you get out of here. I’d like to be able to deliver you both in one piece tomorrow.” Dinah takes a deep breath as Ivy rubs her back and Wally escorts Barry to the elevator. Renee walks off towards the bar that’s been setup backstage, and Zatanna follows her with a grumble about manners.

“It’ll be okay.” Ivy whispers. “Go try to get some sleep, darling.” Dinah nods, and heads to the elevator. 

Dinah tries to sleep. She really does. She’s being sent off into an arena to die tomorrow, though. All she can think about is Cass and Oliver and her mom. She has to at least try for them, but will it be worth it? She rolls over again and faces the large screen on the wall. It’s set to some transparent setting that lets her see out the window that overlooks the Capitol’s city center. She reaches for the remote on the bedside center, figuring she might as well try it out since she’ll probably never have another chance to. She slides her thumb across the smooth touch bad of the remote. As she does so, the screen changes and lets her scroll through scenery. A barren dessert, a busy plaza in the Capitol during the day, a- Dinah sits up, startled. The woods are right there. Tall looming pine trees, bushes and grass of various shades of green all blending together, a thin layer of fog in the distance. She can feel it. The cool morning air and the slight breeze. Can smell the fresh dew. All that’s missing is the soft humming of Oliver from beside her and her father’s worn bow in her hand. It’s home, right in front of her eyes.

Dinah misses Oliver in a way she didn’t expect she would. His smile and his presence and his guidance. She wouldn’t have made it as far as she has without him, and going into the games without his planning skills just feels wrong. It wasn’t that she couldn’t get by without him, but they were better as a team. She had been hunting alone for 4 months after her father’s death when she stumbled upon one of his snares in the woods. Dinah’s never caught any, but the one she was looking at had effortlessly caught a rabbit. She leaned down to inspect it; it was a twitch-up snare. The kind of snare that, after catching its prey, pulled it up into the air and out of reach from hungry predators that could be in the area and come across it. She had tried to make snares, but her dad had just begun showing her how when he died, so she didn’t have much knowledge with them. The one before her looked flawless, though. Her fingers drifted outward to touch it when his voice had rang out around them.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Dinah had stood up, ready to defend herself as he dropped down from the tree he had been perched up in. “Stealing is punishable by death, you know?”

“I wasn’t going to steal anything.” He raised an eyebrow at her like he didn’t believe her. Dinah rolled her eyes. “I was just… looking. My dad didn’t get the chance to teach me much about traps and snares before he died.” Oliver had nodded, not even trying to hide the sympathy from his eyes. Dinah recognized him from the ceremony months ago where all of the children whose parents died in the fire were presented with the Medal of Valor. She also knew he had two younger sisters. He probably understood her better than anyone who said they did.

“How’d you get the squirrel then?” He had asked, tilting his chin up at the small mammal in her hand. 

“I shot it.” Dinah said simply, holding her bow up. Oliver tilted his head at it like he had never seen a bow in person.

“Can I see that?” He asked, reaching out a little. Dinah held it out for him to take it.

“Just remember that stealing is punishable by death.” She warned, only somewhat jokingly. He laughed as he examined it, pulling at the string to see how tight it was, looking at the way it was carved. He handed it back to her.

“Well, Canary, I wish I had a bow like that.” Dinah narrowed her eyes at him.

“Canary?” He grinned, and it made him look like the kind of person everyone wished they knew.

“I’ve heard you singing by the creek some mornings. Sound just like a Canary. Just figured I’d let you be, but then you went sticking your finger in my snare so…” Dinah blushed.

“Well, my name is Dinah.” She corrected. 

“I’m Oliver.” He returned. “Listen, if you’re willing to make a trade… I can teach you all I know about snares, but I would like a bow like that if you know where to get one.” Dinah’s father had made multiple bows over time. She could spare one for the right price.

“Sounds like a deal, Oliver.” And so he taught her the ins and outs of trapping, how to build and use snares of all kinds, what to use as bait, how to keep predators away from game, and in exchange she gave him an old bow and taught him how best to use it. Somewhere along the way they became hunting partners, working together to make sure both of their families stayed fed, and with that came their friendship. Dinah wishes he were present to give her advice and encouragement and that smile of his. She flicks her thumb up on the remote to make the forest on the screen disappear. It hurt too much to be worth thinking about with everything else she has on her mind.

She throws the covers the rest of the way off herself and gets out of the bed with a small groan. Barry had mentioned that the elevator went up to the roof the other day during training, and that they were allowed to go up there. Dinah feels like she could use some fresh air, so she wanders down the staircase and over to the elevator. She presses the ‘up’ button and waits patiently for the doors to slide open. The whole apartment is silent, to the point it’s almost uncomfortable. She’s glad to escape it when she gets into the elevator and presses the button that just has an ‘R’ right above ‘12.’ The ride is only about a minute, and then the doors slide open to reveal the Capitol, brightly lit and, well, beautiful. Dinah sighs, and then notices someone leaning against the concrete railing. She considers turning back immediately, but when she recognizes the figure she decides to make her way over.

“Can you not sleep either?” She asks. Helena turns to look at her, and she doesn’t seem surprised to see Dinah there. She just smiles and waves her over. 

“Hey,” She greets softly. “Of course I couldn’t. I don’t know how people are sleeping right now.”

“Yeah…” Dinah leans up against the barrier beside her with a sigh. The silence isn’t nearly as bad as in the apartment, but that’s because it isn’t actually silent. There’s a breeze, and the sound of Capitol citizens chanting and cheering in the streets can be heard from all the way up where they are… and if she listens closely enough, Dinah can hear the faint sound of Helena breathing. For some reason, that’s the most comforting of all the sounds around her.

“Some show tonight, huh?” Helena asks, breaking the silence with a gentle laugh.

“I don’t love him.” Dinah says without thinking. Helena turns her head, and Dinah doesn’t have to look back to know she’s staring at her.

“I didn’t ask.” Dinah doesn’t say anything in response. She doesn’t know what she even could say in response to that. Helena sighs and goes back to watching the party happening in the streets of the Capitol.

“God, listen to them.” Dinah says in frustration. Helena shakes her head, and Dinah watches the way the wind moves her hair. She wonders if the career has someone back home. Dinah has Oliver, sort of, but she wasn’t spending her life training to go fight in the arena. Maybe things are different for careers, but maybe they aren’t.

“I just don’t want them to change me.” Helena whispers. Dinah looks at Helena with more scrutiny than she probably ever has before. She’s spent her life being trained to kill. She watched her brother be brutally killed in the arena just to get sent in herself. Everyone around her is chanting and cheering for her to be as lethal as possible. If they haven’t yet, then how could they? Helena seems unbreakable to Dinah.

“How could they change you?”

“They could turn me into something I’m not. I just… I don’t want to be another piece in their game, you know?” Helena asks, looking over at Dinah, who suddenly can’t take her eyes off the career.

“You mean you won’t kill anyone?” Helena looks back down at the lights where the majority of the noise is coming from.

“I probably will, when the time comes. .. I just keep wishing I could think of a way to show them that they don’t own me. If I’m gonna die,” Helena brings her eyes back to meet Dinah’s. “I wanna still be me.” Dinah nods. She gets it.

“I can’t afford to think like that. I have my sister.”

“I know.” Helena whispers, and Dinah can see it in her eyes. The way Helena wishes she had her brother still. Something to fight for still. Something to live for. Dinah wishes she had that, too, but they’ve taken it all from her. The taller girl leans back off the concrete and stretches her arms above her head. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Girl on Fire.” Dinah smiles at the nickname. Everyone else says it like they admire her for being something she isn’t, but the way Helena says it makes it feel like it’s just another part of her. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Dinah returns. Helena offers a soft smile and turns to walk away. “Hey, wait. Helena,” She stops, turns back, and tilts her head questioningly. Dinah thinks she’s going to chicken out for a moment, going to let the moment slip away, but she can’t. “Don’t let them take you, too.” Helena smirks, like any other career might, but the twinkle in her eyes is enough to let Dinah know she appreciates the words.

“I won’t.” Helena reassures before walking to the elevator, leaving Dinah out on the rooftop alone with her thoughts and the echoes of an unforgiving Capitol down below.

\---

Zatanna brushes at Dinah’s shoulder like there’s dust. Usually, Dinah would push anyone’s hands away from her, but she can tell the escort is only doing it to try and busy herself. She’s wearing another fucking top hat. It’s similar to the one from the reaping, but it’s a dark blue instead of black. She looks at Dinah and then Renee and then back again.

“I think you’ve been my favorite tribute I’ve escorted to the games so far.” She says, then covers her mouth quickly with a gasp. “Don’t tell Barry I said that.”

“I’m hoping I don’t see Barry while I’m in there.” Dinah says. Renee snorts.

“Yeah, I don’t much want to watch that shit play out.” Zatanna nods and frowns.

“I can’t go any farther with you. Renee will take you down to the hovercraft but… this is goodbye for us here. For now at least.” They’re all still for a moment, and then Zatanna pulls Dinah in for a tight hug. “You give it your best, Dinah. Okay?” Dinah nods as she pulls away, and the eccentric woman turns to Renee. “Give her all the last minute advice you can.”

“I will.” Renee promises, placing a hand on Dinah’s back to guide her into the elevator. She presses a button to send them to the hovercraft pad. Zatanna waves sadly from outside the doors as they slide shut on the tribute and mentor.

“All kinds of shit will get put right up front in the mouth of the cornucopia. There’s almost definitely gonna be a bow there, maybe an axe. Don’t fucking go for it, alright?” Renee says as the elevator heads down.

“Why not?” 

“It’s a bloodbath. They want to draw you in for it. That isn’t the game you’re gonna play, though. Turn, run, find high ground. Look for some water. Water will be your new best friend. You’re going to get by on survival skills as long as you can before you start worrying about fighting.”

“Got it.”

“Don’t step off that pedestal early. They’ll blow you to fuckin pieces. Like a piñata.”

“A piñata?” Dinah asks. She’s never heard of that in her life. What is Renee even-

“Don’t worry about it. Just don’t step off early.”

“I won’t.” Dinah assures. The elevator comes to a stop, and the doors slide open in front of them. There’s a huge hovercraft waiting for her with two peacekeepers at it. Dinah suddenly realizes how nervous she is about everything happening. Renee can see it, though, and she steps in front of her.

“Dinah, listen to me. You can do this.” And suddenly Dinah can read Renee like a book. The victor has been an enigma all throughout training, but when she looks at Dinah in this moment the tribute understands. Renee really believes that she’s capable of winning.

“Thanks.” She whispers, not sure she can ever really get across how much Renee’s help means to her. She takes a deep breath and heads for the hovercraft. Half the tributes are one hovercraft, and half the tributes are on another. Only one from each district on each. Dinah is beyond grateful that Barry is on the other one. Unfortunately, so is Helena. Dinah watches as the hovercraft attendants direct everyone to their seats and start approaching them with something that looks like a syringe. They stick it into each tribute’s arm and it lights up. Dinah doesn’t ask what it is; she’s pretty sure it’s the tracker Renee had told her about early on. She feels a pinch when they put it in, but it’s relatively painless much to her surprise. They take off not long after that, and it’s only a short ride, maybe have an hour, and then they land on the ground and peacekeepers escort each tribute off, one by one, and down a wide concrete tunnel to individual rooms.

They open the door to let her into her assigned room and she steps in. It’s nothing special, really. Bland grey walls and a concrete floor and the tube that will send her up into the arena, but in the center of the room is Ivy. Dinah rushes forward into the redhead’s welcoming arms. Zatanna’s hug was nice enough, a loving goodbye, but Ivy’s is warm and comforting and the closest thing Dinah can get to a hug from her mom or Cass or Oliver right now. Dinah can feel herself shaking a bit, and it suddenly starts to kick in just how terrified she is as she pulls back from the stylist’s arms. 

“This is for you.” Ivy says softly, holding up the jacket Dinah hadn’t even noticed she had in hand. She turns around to let Ivy help her pull it on. Ivy fidgets with the front for a moment, and then pulls the left side of it aside a little to reveal she had fastened Dinah’s mockingjay pin onto her shirt. “Don’t tell anyone I gave you that, alright?”

“Thank you.” Dinah whispers. It isn’t much, but the pin is still a piece of home.

“ _ Thirty seconds. _ ” A robotic voice warns over the intercom. That’s not even a minute. Dinah feels her stomach drop, but Ivy places her hand on her shoulder to regain her attention. It’s silent for a moment.

“I’m not allowed to bet, darling, you know this, but if I could… I would bet on you.” Dinah nods, swallows. She wants to speak but doesn’t know what to even say. 

“ _ Twenty seconds. _ ” Time is running out. Dinah steps away and heads towards the tube.

  
“ _ Ten seconds _ .” She pauses to look at Ivy, and then steps in. The glass slides shut around her. There’s truly no turning back now. She meets Ivy’s eyes, and the stylist gives a sure nod. Then, the floor Dinah is standing on starts to rise, lifting her up into the arena.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so before we get started i would like to just. kick things off with an apology. this chapter is nearly 10k words. and it fucking hurts. i know this because i wrote it and it took me way longer than i wanted bc i did not have the emotional capacity to write the last like. 2k words. so. i am sorry.
> 
> moving on. im not that sorry. its a big chapter feat. a good chunk of the games so theres some action and some violence and this is part where i remind yall that this is a hunger games au. there will be violence and death and suffering. the only characters i can promise you will not die are helena and dinah. so consider this your reminder and your warning.
> 
> that being said i hope yall enjoy this chapter!

_“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the 74th Annual Hunger Games!”_ Chas Chandler announces as she emerges.

It’s bright. That’s what Dinah notices first, but then her eyes adjust to the light. Trees, tons of them. The arena is a forest. This is good. She can work with this. It’s familiar. It’s like home. She has a home field advantage. It’s good. She tries to settle herself, to get some grip on her nerves. She looks around at all the tributes; all 24 of them are standing on metal pedestals in a half circle. Where the other half of the circle would be lies the cornucopia. It’s big and metal and everything in it is appealing: swords, knives, spears, bags, food… a bow. She wants to go for it, but she knows she can’t do that. The backpacks spread farther out from the mouth of it, though, she could probably manage. A countdown of sixty seconds has begun. She looks around at the other tributes again. The boy from 1 somehow looks bigger than he has before, stronger and more intimidating. The girls from 1 and four are both within two pedestals of Dinah. She hasn’t considered them much until this moment, but now she’s realizing how many threats there are. She looks far to the left and sees Terra, so small and unsure. Thirty seconds. Barry. Where’s Barry? Dinah looks around nervously, quickly. The countdown feels like it’s speeding up on her. She spots him on his pedestal not far from Terra. He looks like he’s planning to run right into the cornucopia. Idiot. Fifteen seconds. Wait. Helena. Where’s- Ten seconds. Dinah can’t find her. Where’s her tall girl from 2? Five seconds. No time. She doesn’t have time. 

The gong goes off, and Dinah is sprinting before she really even knows it. She sees her, then. Helena is sprinting into the mouth of the cornucopia with the other careers and Barry and a handful of other tributes. She watches, frozen suddenly, as the boy from 1 locates a sword and immediately turns and begins a tirade against the non-career tributes. The boy from Helena’s district grabs a spear and the female careers grab weapons of their own. She’s lost Barry in the mix of things, hell, he could be dead on the ground already for all Dinah knows, but she sees Helena fighting a girl from some other district hand to hand. A boy, from 12, Dinah thinks, grabs a bag in the background of the scene she’s watching unfold, and it spurs her on to leave. She can’t be caught standing there out in the open. She sees a backpack not far from where she’s standing and runs towards it. She doesn’t even stop to pick it up, just yanks it from the ground and onto her back as she passes before heading into the woods as fast as possible.

She heads down a hill with the intent to go as deep in as she can. She runs for several minutes until she’s sure she’s alone. She finds a rock to sit on and opens her backpack in her lap. There’s an empty bottle that she can eventually fill with water and iodine to purify it, a tarp, a sleeping bag, a small coil of wire, a box of matches, a pack of crackers and a pack of beef strips, and a simple knife. It’s not big at all; the blade is maybe five to six inches in length with a serrated edge. It’s a useful enough pack. There’s plenty to work with. Dinah does wish there was water inside the plastic bottle, but that’s something that would have been deeper into the cornucopia. She couldn’t have taken that kind of risk. 

The sound of a cannon going off startles her suddenly. The bloodbath is over. Dinah counts each one as it echoes out through the arena. By the time it’s finished, her count is twelve. Half of the tributes are dead and it’s only late afternoon on the very first day. She wonders what the odds are that someone she cares about is dead. She’s alive, obviously. Helena, Barry, and Terra may not be, though. Although, Helena probably has the best odds given that she seems to be part of the career pack. She wonders if them being dead is almost better. If they die early then there’s no way Dinah will have to fight any of them. Barry or Helena? Maybe, but she isn’t positive. It would be difficult to do. Terra? Never. She couldn’t. She doesn’t want to think about it, though. She needs to find water sooner rather than later. She gathers her supplies back into her bag, with the exception of the knife which she keeps in hand, and pulls it onto her back.

She decides to continue on in the direction she has been going. She makes note of her surroundings as she walks. There are small creatures, rabbits and squirrels mostly, in the area. It’s good to know. Their presence lets her know that there’s a water source not too far, and at least a small amount of food she can scavenge for. Setting traps to catch said animals is also an option, but she would prefer to avoid that. The last thing she needs is the career pack wandering through the area and finding her snares; they would be dead set on tracking her down and killing her if they did. Twilight comes faster than she would like, and as the sun starts to set there’s an occasional howl in the distance, meaning she’ll have to compete with natural predators for the squirrels and rabbits she’s seen out and about already. Travelling through the night doesn’t feel like a very good idea, so Dinah seeks out a place to stop for the night. 

She settles on a willow tree with strong branches that are high enough to conceal her behind their tresses and leaves, but not high enough that falling out would probably kill her instantly. She climbs up carefully, stopping when she finally finds a branch that seems big enough and sturdy enough to hold her. It isn’t an easy task, but she places her sleeping bag on the branch and slides into it, and then uses her belt to fasten herself to the tree so she can’t fall. She tucks her backpack into the foot of her sleeping bag carefully and then pulls up her hood. It seems to get cooler with every minute, so she’s beyond grateful she grabbed the backpack. She can’t imagine having to worry about warmth and water at the moment.

It’s just gotten dark out when the Capitol’s anthem is blast throughout the arena. Dinah looks up into the sky to see the faces of fallen tributes being projected. The boy from District 3 appears first, meaning all four of the careers from District’s 1 and 2 are alive, including Helena. The boy from 4 is next, then the girl from 5, and both tributes from 6. Barry’s face doesn’t appear. Instead, the boy from District 8 does. Both tributes from District 9, the girl from 10, and both from 12 are all dead, too. Helena, Barry, and Terra are all alive, but so are all of the career pack. As well as the muscular boy from Terra’s district. So, truthfully speaking, none of the tributes she has concerns about are gone, which isn’t a good outlook for her game. She sighs and leans her head back, ready to go to sleep, when a snapping sound not far from her get’s her attention. She watches a flame flicker to life and shakes her head. What kind of an idiot would like a fire in the middle of the night? It’s far too easy to spot and will almost definitely summon the career pack. Dinah is pissed, honestly, that someone is risking giving away her location. She turns back and tries to ignore it and sleep. She gets probably a couple hours before a scream wakes her up maybe an hour before dawn. The career pack has found the fire starter and a cannon goes off seconds later in the distance.

“12 down and 12 to go!” One of the boys, the one from 2, shouts as he leads them through the woods. Dinah watches them pass by below.

“God, a fire. How stupid can you be?” The girl from 4 muses. “Damian, which way do you think we should go?” She and the boy from 2 stop to let the others catch up. The boy from 1, who Dinah now knows is named Damian, approaches, with the girl from his district right beside him.

“I don’t know. Ask Roy. Or Lover Boy.” Dinah almost falls out of the tree when she sees Barry is with them, and Helena isn’t. Both are major shocks to the system. It takes everything to hold back her gasp. She can’t give herself away. She can’t.

“Kory is the one who let Helena get away.” Roy snaps. “Why not ask her?” The girl from 1 is apparently Kory based on the way her jaw drops at the accusation.

“It is not my fault!”

“Well, you did miss a clear shot at her.” Roy says, drawing Dinah’s attention to the bow in Kory’s hand. “Rachel and I were just trying to finish off the rest of them. You and Damian let her get away.” Damian and Kory both look ready to start shouting by the girl from 4, Rachel apparently, steps in the middle.

“This argument is stupid and I don’t give a shit about whose fault it was. Lover Boy said this is the way Dinah went, so we’ll keep heading this way. Helena will show up eventually. I don’t care who pops up first as long as I get to kill one of them.” She says. Everyone around her nods in agreement. She starts walking, heading off in the other direction, and the rest of their alliance follows closely behind her. Dinah takes stock of them all as they pass. Kory with the bow she wants, the two formidable boys that would crush her hand to hand, the way the girl from 4 takes charge, and, most importantly, Barry limping along at the back, a black eye illuminated by what little light there is.

Dinah waits patiently until she knows she’s probably clear, and then she climbs out of her tree. She knows the cameras are likely on her. She spent the whole night covered and probably hard for any cameras to capture. She knows the audience wants to see her; they want to see how she is and how she’s reacting to the information that Barry is helping the careers hunt her. Not all of the careers, though, she thinks. Helena is out there somewhere in the woods on her own after being chased out of the bloodbath. Dinah can’t understand why Helena would be a target of the careers. They would benefit from having her on their side; unless, they know they can’t beat her if it comes down to them in the end. It’s an intriguing thought for Dinah: that Damian and Roy of all people would be scared of Helena’s awkward self. 

She sets out to check her snares and is rewarded with a rabbit caught in one. She makes quick work of skinning it and then heads for the fire that had gotten that tribute killed. Luckily, the embers are still burning enough for her to get the fire going again and she uses it to cook the meat. She eats about half of it and wraps the rest in plastic and saves it for later. The rabbit helps with the hunger, but she still needs water. It’s far too hot outside to keep going much longer without it. She’ll be dehydrated by nightfall if she carries on. She sets out in the direction she had been heading before stopping for the night to rest. That’s what her entire morning is. It’s just a long trek through the forest. She feels exhausted and all of her muscles ache by mid afternoon. The early signs of dehydration are setting in quickly. Dinah is sure the cameras are on her. She’s seen tributes die of starvation and dehydration and freezing to death over and over through the years. If the gamemakers even think she could be on the brink they’ll be making sure it’s captured for the audience to see. She can’t help but think about Cass; they’ll be giving live updates during lunch at her school, and Dinah really doesn’t want her to find out that she’s dead while surrounded by her classmates. She feels a pit in her stomach at the thought, but it goes away the instant she looks up and sees the light reflecting through the trees. She knows that look anywhere. It’s just like going to the river with Oliver on a hot summer. There’s water just ahead. She doesn’t run since she’s so exhausted, but she does pick up her pace in excitement.

There’s a muddy embankment and some rocks just before the river. Dinah hops down onto the rocks and sits down, pulling her backpack off to get out her water bottle. She pulls out the flask and fills it with the water. She has to dig around in her bag for a moment, but before long she locates the small bottle of iodine. She uses the dropper to put the correct amount of drops in. Waiting the thirty minutes she’s supposed to sounds awful, but she finds the restraint to set the bottle on the edge of the rocks and settle for splashing some water onto her face to cool herself off. She’s there for maybe ten minutes when she hears the loud laughter from a group of tributes, and her heart plummets. Across the water the career pack emerges from the woods, Barry still trailing behind them awkwardly. She’s frozen for a moment and doesn’t even have time to figure out what she’s going to do when Roy points her out to the rest of them.

“There she is! There she is!” He yells. The rest of them look at Dinah like they’re a pack of wild dogs and she’s the last deer in the woods as they start charging towards her. She throws her water bottle into her backpack and zips it as she gets to her feet and attempts to run.

“She’s mine!” Damian yells.

“Not if I get her first!” Rachel responds. Dinah struggles over the edge of the embankment for a second, but then she’s to her feet in the woods and running as fast as she can. She hurdles over rocks and branches easily, trying to not panic over the sound of excited yelling and feet stampeding after her. She knows that running won’t work for long. Eventually, someone will tire, and she can’t risk it being her. She sees a tall tree up ahead, one that she could probably sleep in if necessary, and guns it for it. She climbs as fast as possible; it reminds her of how Oliver always compares her to a squirrel, quick and witty, knowing exactly which branch to go to next. She’s about twenty five or thirty feet up when the career pack reaches the base of the tree. They look up at her, and she looks back, appraising each other for a moment. 

“How are you?” Dinah asks, playfully. She knows that antagonizing them is probably not a great gameplan, but they already have their sights set on her anyway. Plus, if she can find some humor to entertain the audience in the Capitol it could pull in more sponsors for her.

“I’m doing well.” Damian says with a smile. He looks like he has at least 60 or 70 pounds on her. “Yourself?”

“I would prefer it not be so hot out, but the air is better up here. Why don’t you come on up?” She taunts. He laughs and shakes his head. 

“I think I will. Thanks for the invite.” He hoists himself up on the tree and starts trying to climb. He’s far slower than Dinah, and she knows from looking that he won’t make it far before the branches stop being sturdy enough to hold him, so she stays put and watches in amusement. He reaches for a branch that Dinah knows won’t work out and it snaps with the slightest pressure, sending him flailing to the ground. He hits with a loud thud, and Dinah hopes maybe he broke something, but he gets up quickly and shakes it off.

“Whatever. I’ll take care of it.” Kory says, drawing back an arrow on the bow. Dinah glares down at her. That’s supposed to be her bow. It was put in the arena for her, and she’s determined to get it. She raises the bow and lets the arrow fly. Dinah barely has to move to avoid it. She clearly doesn’t know how to use that weapon. She doesn’t deserve it.

“You could try throwing the sword.” She calls down to them. That seems to piss all of them off for a moment. Damian looks like he’s considering it for a split second, though.

“We should wait her out.” Barry chimes in from where he’s been standing awkwardly and trying not to watch. Dinah is filled with rage every time she looks at him. The betrayal is almost too much to handle at times. The careers all look over at him. “She’ll have to come down eventually. If she doesn’t, then she’ll just starve to death up there. We can just kill her then.” They seem hesitant for a moment, like they don’t trust him. Dinah doesn’t blame them.

“Alright,” Damian says. “Someone make a fire then.” They spread out to gather items and start making camp. Dinah uses the time to set up her sleeping situation. The sun will be down before too long, so she might as well get comfortable while she’s not being watched so closely. When night finally falls, Dinah watches the careers below her. Barry is lying on his back, his face illuminated by firelight, and she knows that he’s watching her, but she doesn’t particularly care. She’s still pissed. Hell, she probably will be for a while. Roy and Damian are joking about something. The two girls laugh at it. It all makes Dinah think about how they’re all just kids, and how unfair it is that they’ve been made to do this. She wonders if the other careers are anything like Helena, pissed and tired, just putting up a façade to appease the Capitol and try to get out, or if they really are blood thirsty killers. She falls asleep wondering about it.

When she wakes up, it’s early morning. The sun is just starting to peak out through the trees as it rises. What wakes her, though, is the sound of someone calling her name. She looks around, trying to locate where the loud whisper is coming from, and finds Terra up above in a nearby tree. She points, and Dinah follows the line of her finger to a wasp nest. No, not a wasp nest; that would be too easy for the Hunger Games. It’s a tracker jacker nest. Genetically modified wasps with highly venomous stings that are known to drive people mad if it doesn’t kill them first. Dinah looks back at Terra, and the girl points down. The careers are right below the nest, all fast asleep. She knows what she needs to do.

Dinah unties herself and moves, as quietly as possible, up the tree towards the nest with her knife. Once she can reach the branch, she begins to saw at it with the serrated edge of the knife. The tracker jackers begin buzzing, waking up one by one. She feels a sharp sting as one finds her neck, and the pain is instant and searing. She has to hold back a yell as she continues sawing, picking up the pace. She doesn’t want to get the whole nest’s attention. Another sting lands on her arm, and she can’t hold back a choked yelp of pain. She keeps sawing, though, determined to get the job done. Then, the knife glides through the last of the tree limb, and the nest falls to the ground. It cracks open like an egg and hundreds of tracker jackers swarm to the air. The careers are up in an instant, screaming and running, thrashing to keep the wasps from landing. It’s mayhem. Dinah can feel herself getting woozy and tries to get down the tree quickly. Her vision is blurring, and she reaches for a branch that isn’t actually there. She’s sent to the ground instantly, lucky that she was less than fifteen feet from the ground when she fell. She stands up, tries to make out general shapes. There’s a body on the ground, but the hazy fog she’s entered keeps her from seeing who it is. She sees a glint of silver, though, and knows in her heart that it’s her bow. She rushes towards the body just as it stops twitching and a cannon goes off to signal Kory’s death. She’s got to get that bow. It’s the only thing on her mind aside from the pain. Before she can reach for it, though, the sound of someone running at her pulls her gaze up. It’s Barry. Or is it a hallucination? Dinah can’t quite tell.

“What are you doing? Dinah, get out of here!” He yells. Behind him, Damian breaks through the treeline, soaking wet and enraged, heading straight for them. “Run! Go! Get out of here!” And Dinah can’t wait around to find out if it’s a hallucination or not. She abandons the bow and runs in the opposite direction. Everything is blurry and painful and awful. She sees the forest on fire, all around her, hear’s her father scream in pain, scream her name and her mother’s name and her name and her mother’s name. Then she hears her mother crying out and Cass and Oliver and then Barry is yelling “Go! Get out of here!” His voice changes halfway in, and she can recognize the sound. Helena. Yelling for her to run. She stumbles to the ground and her world goes dark.

\---

When Dinah finally wakes up, she’s lying amongst the leaves on her back. Her joints are stiff beyond belief, and it makes her think she’s been out more than just a couple hours. She sits up suddenly, and when she does she notices leaves placed along her arm and neck. She pulls them off and grabs her backpack that’s been placed neatly beside her. Something in the corner of her eye moves, and she jerks her head over to look. The small form of Terra darts behind a tree quickly, but not quick enough to go unnoticed. Dinah stands up, puts her backpack on, and walks cautiously towards the tree.

“Terra?” She asks, softly. The girl peeks out from just behind the tree, and Dinah smiles at her reassuringly. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“What about me?” A voice calls from behind her. Dinah spins around to find Helena standing in front of her. Her jacket is torn and she has what looks like a fairly bad cut on her leg. A belt of throwing knives is fastened to her hip, and the silver bow in her hand matches the quiver over her shoulder.

“You hunting me, too?” Dinah asks. She knows if Helena wants to kill her she will, and Dinah won’t stand any chance against her. Helena shakes her head and laughs.

“No. I’m not hunting anyone.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“She’s been protecting me.” Terra’s soft voice announces. Dinah looks at her, and then back at Helena. She’s not surprised, but at the same time she is. Helena looks away in discomfort, and her cheeks turn a bright shade of pink. She clears her throat.

“Terra’s smart. She knows the forest well. Took care of your stings.” Dinah keeps her eyes locked on Helena’s strong but awkward form, but she knows Terra is beaming from beside her. “You’ve been out two days, Dinah. You hungry?”

“Yeah.” Dinah says simply, and Terra laughs. Helena smiles and approaches, sliding the quiver off her back and holds it and the bow out to Dinah. She reaches for it, but Helena jerks it back closer to herself.

“You’re not gonna shoot me the moment I give you this, right?”

“No,” Dinah says, and she isn’t lying. She doesn’t want to kill Helena. She doesn’t want to kill anyone, for that matter. “I won’t. Promise.” Helena holds it back out and lets her take it.

“Cool. Glad to hear it.” She turns and heads off, and Terra follows right behind her, so Dinah takes the hint and does the same. “I already did the hunting for today, but you can do it tomorrow if you’d like.” Dinah nods, even though she knows the career isn’t looking at her to see it. They approach a small and well covered fire where some kind of bird is roasting over a spit. Helena settles on a mossy rock and reaches for the bird to start cutting it. Terra sits on a log across from her, and Dinah sits down on it with the younger girl. Helena hands a leg to each of them, and it doesn’t go unnoticed to Dinah that Helena wraps up the rest of the meat for later, not portioning any for herself. It makes her hesitate, but Helena sees it and shakes her head, so Dinah takes a bite. She can’t deny how good it tastes. After being passed out on the ground and not eating for two days dirt would probably taste good, too, though. Helena hands her a bottle of water, and she accepts it graciously. 

“I’ve never had a whole leg to myself.” Terra says wistfully, and Dinah shares a look with Helena. The information surprises neither of them. Dinah holds out her leg to the girl.

“Here. Take the other.” Terra looks at her in surprise.

“No, that’s okay.” Dinah smiles, finding the uncertainty sort of endearing.

“Go ahead. Take it. There’s plenty more where that came from now that you’ve got Helena and I both hunting.” That seems to sell the girl, so Terra takes the leg and continues eating. Dinah looks at Helena who has begun sharpening her knives quietly.

“So uh… what happened while I was out?” Helena stiffens, then continues on, keeping her focus on the weapons at hand.

“The girl from 1, the girl from 8, and um…” She hesitates, looks to Helena for help, and Dinah knows.

“The boy from my district didn’t make it?” 

“I’m sorry.” Helena mumbles. She looks up at Dinah, eyes pained. “I tried to save him. I did my best. I got there so late, though, and Damian he’s…”

“It’s okay.” Dinah says, leaning forward to take Helena’s hand in hers. Barry was… something to Dinah, sure, but it seems he wrote his own death warrant the moment he joined the career pack. She’s not sure anyone could have saved him.

“He didn’t want to betray you.” Helena tells her, and that causes Dinah’s eyes to narrow as she pulls her hand away.

“What do you mean?” Helena sets the knife in her hand down beside herself on the rock.

“He rushed right into the cornucopia. He was quick. He grabbed a bag close to the mouth, probably loaded with supplies, and he tried to make a break for it from there, but Rachel cornered him. Basically forced him to either help them find you or die. He didn’t want to do that to you. The careers just…”

“What about you?” Dinah asks. “Why aren’t you with them?” Helena laughs uncomfortably.

“I never was, really. I mean, I could have been, but they saw in training how I would go off on my own. How I would talk to others. Help others. They didn’t trust me. Kory turned on me in the middle of the bloodbath, but I know they all had a hand in it, and I had to make a run for it.”

“Is that where that cut came from?” Dinah points at the cut on her thigh. It doesn’t look gross enough to be from the bloodbath, but there’s a chance Helena has sponsors that have sent medicine.

“Nah, I got this from Damien. When I tried to help Barry.” She says, voice going soft as Dinah’s district counterpart is brought up again. Dinah wants to ask if it was quick, but she can tell from the look in Helena’s eyes that he suffered. They both did.

“Can I take a look at it for you?” Helena seems taken aback by the offer.

“Good luck with that. I already tried.” Terra grumbles from beside her. Dinah glares at Helena. You can’t just sit around and wait for infection to kill you in the games. Well, you can… but Helena can’t.

“Okay, I’ll rephrase.” Dinah says, standing up and moving to sit by the other girl on the rock. “Let me take a look at it. I’m not asking.” Helena shifts uncomfortably for a moment and then leans back to give Dinah a better look. The gash isn’t as deep as it looked from a few feet away, but it’s still deep enough for concern and is about three or four inches long. It’s showing the early signs of infection. Dinah reaches out, and the moment the pads of her fingers brush against the skin of her thigh Helena jerks away. 

"Fuck," Helena bites out. Dinah sighs and looks at her sadly. 

“Helena, that’s already infected. Soon enough you won’t be able to carry on if it doesn’t improve.”

“I know.” Helena snaps. Terra gives the two of them an awkward look, but stays focused on eating the leg Dinah gave her. Helena’s face softens and she drops her voice to a whisper. “I know.”

“Nobody has sent any medicine?” Dinah asks. She knows the answer already, though. If any sponsors had sent something, Helena would have used it. Her focus is clearly on getting Terra as far as possible, home even, if she can, but that doesn’t mean she wants to die of infection. Nobody does. Helena shakes her head.

“We don’t have any sponsors.” Terra says, her voice carrying a twinge of sadness. Helena smiles reassuringly at the younger girl, though.

“That’s because we’re underdogs, remember?” She tells her, and her tone and the look in her eyes makes Dinah miss Oliver for a moment. It’s how he talks to Cass and his sisters. “They just don’t know how strong we are yet.”

“Yeah,” Terra says, her smile creeping back. “We’ll show them, though.”

“Hell yeah we will.” Helena looks at Dinah with a smirk and a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. “Wanna help us?”

“You know I do.” It’s exciting. Dinah planned on having to deal with everything alone; twenty three of them versus one of her. Finding, or being found by, Terra and Helena makes things feel considerably less bleak. For the first time since the gong went off Dinah really thinks she may have a chance. 

“Terra, you want to tell Dinah our plan while I pack up camp for the night?” Helena asks, and Terra nods in response.

“The other careers are by the lake, at the cornucopia, remember?” Dinah nods. Helena stands and starts putting out the fire and gathering all of their supplies into the three backpacks they have. “They have all of their supplies in a big pyramid. Helena went hunting yesterday and saw it. She thinks if we find a way to destroy their supplies then they’ll go hungry. If they go hungry, then we just have to last longer than them.”

“How do you plan to destroy them? Aren’t they camped out with them?” Helena hands Terra’s packed bag to her and the girl stands and pulls it onto her back.

“We just need a good distraction to lure them away, and then I figure it’s just a matter of lighting them on fire or something.” Helena says. She hands Dinah her bag and makes sure all of her knives are secure on her belt. “I think now that there’s three of us, Terra can light some brush on fire and then make a run for it. The careers will head straight for the smoke when they see it. I’ll trail behind her, keep her safe in case they do manage to close in. You can take care of the supplies.”

“It’s not a bad plan.” Dinah acknowledges. Helena pulls her own backpack on and shrugs.

“What do we have to lose, you know?” Dinah just nods. She isn’t sure she has the right words to respond with. Helena clears her throat awkwardly. “So uh, we’ve been making a small camp in the day, and then taking to the trees at night. I take watch while Terra sleeps, but we’ve yet to be noticed by anyone, so I’m not really too worried about it.”

“Good, that means I can take watch tonight and you can get some rest.” Dinah says, leaving no room for argument. Helena clenches her jaw. She clearly wants to disagree, but she opts to not test her luck. Dinah just gives her a smug smile. “You wanna lead the way, 2?” Helena rolls her eyes playfully but walks between Dinah and Terra to lead them ahead through the woods without comment.

“Have you ever been to District 2?” Terra asks Dinah. They follow a few feet behind Helena side by side.

“No,” Dinah says. “I’ve never been outside my district.”

“Me neither. Helena says it’s not very pretty in 2. Lots of mines and mountains and stuff. Is it pretty in 7?”

“Yeah, I think so. There’s a lot of trees and nature since we’re right in the middle of a forest. It’s nothing super special, though.” Terra looks up at her in awe. Dinah has never been one for district pride, not when people go hungry, but she does get a sense of it with how the younger girl seems so interested. She can even see the way Helena has her head angled, like even though she isn’t watching she’s still listening closely. “It always smells like cedar and pine, year round, but in the winter the river that runs through town freezes and snow sticks to the ground, and the smell of hot cocoa and nutmeg and cinnamon mixes in. It’s home.”

“Wow. It snows there?” Dinah nods and smiles; it doesn’t even occur to her that she isn’t having to fake her smile for the cameras. She hopes they’re watching. The audience in the Capitol should see Terra’s hope and enthusiasm. They should see the light in her eyes and know what they’ve done. “Helena, does it snow in District 2?” 

“Uh, not really.” The girl answers without looking back. “My mom says that it used to snow every couple of years back home, but I can’t remember ever seeing snow for myself.”

“I wish I could see the snow some day.” Terra says. Helena does turn her head at that, and her eyes lock on Dinah’s for a moment. The pain in them is all too familiar. Where Dinah sees Cass, Helena sees her brother. Terra is everything that they’ve worked so hard to protect, and somehow, at the end of the day, the hard work may not make a difference. Helena stops at the base of a fairly big tree. It’s a good one; it has long and thick branches up high that should be plenty strong enough to hold them. 

“This should be good.” Helena says. “You two head up first. I’ll cover you both.” Terra goes first. She uses her size to her advantage and gets up it as fast as a squirrel would. She picks a branch and sits on it, waiting for the other two to come up behind her. Dinah spares Helena a concerned glance before she starts climbing; she knows the career is more than capable of taking care of herself, but that doesn’t stop her from worrying. She tries to get up the tree as quickly as possible without being reckless. The less time any of them spend on the ground alone the better off they are. She settles into a fork in the tree, draws an arrow from her quiver so she can cover the other girl, and then looks down. Helena seems to sense it and looks up to see them safe, so she follows their lead and starts climbing. Helena is strong; it’s not like the muscles of her arms and calves and everything else would just go unnoticed to Dinah. She is, however, much more agile than the other careers seemed to be. She’s not as fast as Dinah or Terra, but she does get up the tree with more ease than Dinah was expecting. Terra moves, offering the thick branch she had perched on to Helena, and moves to share the large fork with Dinah. Helena groans in pain as she pulls herself up to sit on it. 

“Hey,” Dinah whispers to Terra. “Can you get our sleeping rolls ready for the night? I’m going to make sure Helena is set, okay?” Terra nods and starts pulling things from their bags to get them ready. Dinah carefully moves around the branches to get closer to Helena. The taller girl seems like the exhaustion is finally creeping up on her, and she doesn’t put up any fight as Dinah reaches for her backpack. She pulls out the sleeping roll and goes to help her slide into it, but that’s where Helena reaches out a hand to stop her.

“It’s fine.” She says. Dinah can see it. Their faces are just inches apart in the moment and she can see how tired and pained the other girl is. Helena has sacrificed every bit of comfort necessary to protect Terra, but Dinah needs her to understand that she doesn’t have to anymore. That Dinah is there to take half the weight off her shoulders.

“We’re safe, Helena. She’s safe.” Helena turns her head a little to look at Terra and then turns back to Dinah. She gives a small nod without saying anything, but Dinah doesn’t care. She’ll take it. She helps the career slide carefully into her sleeping bag and uses some rope from one of the bags to make sure she’s secure in the tree. Helena is struggling to keep her eyes open as the sun sinks behind the trees. A small strand of brunette hair has fallen across her face, and Dinah can’t stop herself. She reaches out and tenderly brushes it back behind the girl’s ear. Helena gives her a confused look, then laughs a little under her breath as she looks away. Dinah pulls her hand away and clears her throat awkwardly. “Get some sleep, okay? You need rest.”

Dinah moves over to settle into her sleeping bag in the fork with Terra. The anthem plays around the arena, but above no tributes are shown dead. Dinah tries to count in her head. Terra and Helena are obviously both still alive for the time being. The boys from their districts, Roy and, if she remembers correctly, Jaime, are also still alive. As are the other two careers, Damien and Rachel. The girl from 3 and the boy from 5 are the other two alive, Dinah thinks. She doesn’t remember much about the girl from 3, but the boy from 5 caught her attention a few times before entering the arena. She remembers his name is Garfield. He was fantastic at the parts of training that weren’t physical. Edible plants, ropes and snares, camouflaging… he did well at all of those. He spent most of his interview with John Constantine joking and having playful banter, but Dinah can’t forget how he went serious and said that he felt the greatest weapon in the games was a strong mind. At the time, she had rolled her eyes, but considering that he hadn’t yet been killed, she made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

“Was all of that true?” Terra whispers.

“Was all of what true?” Dinah asks, genuinely confused about what the girl is referring to.

“You and Barry.” Terra says it like she thinks Dinah is faking her confusion. Dinah ponders the question for a moment, and really she isn’t sure if it was ever true or not. She would like to know, but obviously her chance is long gone. Barry is in an unceremonious wooden box headed home to 7 to be buried by his family. Dinah considers saying yes, to build sympathy and pull the audience in more, but then she finds herself glancing over at Helena. She can’t tell if the girl is awake, but something makes her not want to say yes with her so close.

“No. I don’t think so.” Dinah settles on. “I think maybe it was for him, but I just didn’t feel the same.” Terra smiles and snuggles into Dinah’s shoulder.

“Good.” She whispers again. “I think Helena likes you like he did.” Dinah’s chest clenches at that for some reason she isn’t sure of. She doesn’t respond, though. What is she even supposed to say? It doesn’t matter too much. Terra falls asleep within the minute, and Dinah passes the night listening to the sound of the young girl breathing and watching the steady rise and fall of Helena’s chest.

When morning finally rolls around and the early rays of sunlight start peeking through the trees, Terra wakes up first. She asks Dinah if she can go hunting with her, and then elaborates that she wants to pick roots and berries for them while Dinah does the hunting. She hesitates, but she knows that they’re better off together, so she agrees. Terra is getting ready to go when Helena finally wakes up. Dinah moves around the branches to see her and offers a small smile. The career is clearly still in pain and exhausted. Dinah hands her the bird meat that Helena had wrapped up yesterday and gives her one of the water bottles.

“We’re going hunting, and foraging. I want you to stay here. Eat, drink some water, rest...” Helena looks like she’s going to argue, so Dinah gives her the saddest looks she can. “Please?”

“Okay.” Helena sighs. “Be careful. Stay safe. When you get back we’ll deal with the career’s supplies.” She trails off into a whisper so Terra won’t hear her. “I want that taken care of before this cut gets worse.” Dinah just nods. She understands. She hates it and wants to reassure her that she’ll be fine, but she knows if sponsors don’t pull through soon enough then any reassurance she gives will just be false hope and lies. 

“We’ll be back soon.” Dinah climbs down first to make sure the coast is clear. Once she confirms it is, Terra drops down behind her, backpack on and slingshot in hand. They move through the brush and the trees pretty quickly, but they make it a point to not go very far from the tree Helena and the rest of their supplies are still in. Terra zips around gathering roots and berries while Dinah waits patiently for any kind of game to show itself. Eventually, a rabbit hops near enough, and Dinah uses her bow to take it down easily. Dinah goes to pick it up; she’s inspecting the rabbit as the cannon goes off. Her head jerks up, and her stomach drops at the thought of something happening to Terra while her back is turned, but then she spots Terra just a few feet away looking at her in fear.

“Helena.” She whispers, and then she’s running towards the tree, Terra close on her heels. They’re running straight through brush, unconcerned with following any kind of paths or any noise they could be making. Dinah feels something, someone, collide with her, and they’re both sent to the ground harshly. She gets to her feet as fast as she can and draws an arrow, but the person on the ground is Helena.

“You’re okay!” Terra throws herself into the girl, arms wrapping around her neck and squeezing her tightly. Helena’s eyes are locked on Dinah’s, though. Both of them are beyond relieved to see the other still breathing. Dinah lowers the bow immediately when she realizes she still has it aimed at her ally.

“Who do you think that was?” Terra asks them as she pulls back. Dinah reaches out a hand to help Helena up off the ground.

“I have no clue.” Helena answers. “It’s good, though. A death should keep the audience pretty satisfied for at least a little longer. If we’re going to do something, though, we need to do it now.”

“Yeah. Okay. How do you want to do this?” Dinah asks. Helena looks around for a moment before stepping over to a small tree and pulling on one of the branches until it snaps off.

“These trees are all over the place. I’ll gather some brush into piles for Terra to light on fire. It’ll draw the career pack our way. You head for the cornucopia and take out those supplies however you can. Be careful, though. The girl from 3 has been guarding their stuff. I’m not too worried about her, but…”

“I know.” Dinah says. She turns to look at Terra. “That stuff is going to smoke like crazy, so the moment it’s lit you need to move on to the next fire, okay? All you’ve got to do is move fast enough the careers don’t catch you. Helena will have your back the whole time. We can meet back up at the tree we were in last night, alright?” Terra nods.

“We need a signal. In case one of us gets held up.” She tells them, looking up between them both.

“Yeah, good idea. Got anything in mind?” Helena asks her. Dinah appreciates the gesture because of the way Terra’s eyes light up and she smiles a bit. Helena is letting her be involved in the planning; it probably makes her feel special. Terra looks at the gold mockingjay pin still tightly fastened to Dinah’s jacket.

“Back home, in 11, we use mockingjays to signal each other. They’re all over the woods here. We could use them to carry a special sound for each of us. That way we can let each other know if we’re okay, but we can’t get back to the tree on time.”

“I like that. Let’s hear yours.” Helena says. Terra sings a small tune, and the mockingjays above echo it back. Helena looks up and around in awe, and for a second Dinah remembers that she’s probably never seen wildlife until she had entered the arena. Helena does a short, but distinct, whistle, and watches with a smile as it’s carried across the forest. Dinah doesn’t realize she’s staring until Terra pokes her with a stick to get her attention. She does a whistle, too, but it’s a soft tune that she hears Oliver do out in the woods while they’re hunting sometimes.

“Okay, so, if we hear that, it means we’re okay, and we’ll see each other soon.” Terra says. Dinah pulls her close and hugs her.

“We’ll be okay.” She says, eyes locked on Helena’s who is standing a few feet away. The brunette gives a simple nod in agreement. They can do this. It’s a good plan. It will work. When Terra pulls away, there’s a moment of hesitation amongst all of them, and then Helena heads off to start setting up brush piles for Terra. Dinah turns and heads for the cornucopia. 

She walks for an hour or two before she spots the flat and wide expanse the games began at. Right at the mouth of the cornucopia is a camp with weapons, tarps, supplies of all kinds, and four tributes, just as Helena had warned. The career pack, Damien, Rachel, and Roy, and the girl from District 3. Dinah thinks back to the cannon that went off earlier. If it wasn’t any of them, and it wasn’t Terra or Helena, then it had to be either Jaime, Garfield, or the boy from District 10. Dinah’s gaze is pulled over to the supplies. They’re stacked altogether in a pyramid with the exception of what lies in the little camp. It’s confusing, at first glance, why they’re arranged like that, and moreso, why they’re so far away from the camp. It screams trap.

“Hey, look! Guys, look!” Roy points with his spear, standing from where he had been sitting on the ground. Dinah can see the smoke rising high in the distance and knows that Terra and Helena are responsible for it. Damien grabs his sword and passes a trident to Rachel. 

“Let’s go.” He turns back to look at the girl from 3. “You stay guard. Don’t you dare move until we get back.” They take off towards the smoke, and the girl sits down on a crate in the middle of the encampment. She draws her arrow, ready to take the girl out before dealing with the supplies, when a movement out of the corner of eye catches her attention. Garfield runs straight towards the pyramid, but as he gets closer he starts hopping around methodically. He grabs a couple of supplies quickly from the base to fill his backpack, and then he’s hopping away and off into the woods. The girl from 3 must have heard him because she stands up and looks around in confusion. She eventually decides to investigate further, and she grabs a spear and heads off in the same direction he went. 

Dinah knows now that she was right about the trap, but it’s more elaborate than she expected. She looks around more, trying to figure it out, and that’s when she notices the holes dug at the base of the pedestals they entered the arena on. Renee had warned her if she stepped off early she would be blown to pieces. Dinah groans in frustration. The pyramid is mined. She tries to figure out how she wants to move forward. Blowing the supplies up is the obvious answer, but the question that remains is how. She doesn’t want to waste all of her arrows, so shooting aimlessly and hoping she hits something that will set the mines off is a no go. She notices a bag of apples towards the top of the pyramid. If she can get the bag to rip and spill the apples out it should do the trick. She shoots one arrow that rips through the bag, but it isn’t enough to free the apples. She steps a bit closer, more out in the open and vulnerable than she wants, and shoots a second arrow. The bag rips open, and the apples fall in what seems like slow motion, and then Dinah is thrown backwards as the mines begin to explode.

Her ears are ringing, and it’s the only sound she can hear as she sits up. She drags herself backwards, trying to head back into the safety of the treeline as the girl from 3 runs back into the camp. She seems clearly distraught, and Dinah can’t blame her. The career pack exits the treeline in the distance, and Dinah rushes herself into the brush for safety before stopping to watch the scene unfold. Damien kicks several broken crates around in the smoke, and then he turns on the girl. She doesn’t even have a chance to run. He puts her in a headlock and jerks. Dinah still can’t hear, but she knows a cannon goes off as the girl is dropped to the ground. That’s more than enough for her, and she takes off running into the woods. 

Dinah’s hearing is returning in at least her right ear as she reaches what is clearly a pile of brush made by Helena, but it’s untouched by fire. Her stomach drops. She whistles for the mockingjays, an attempt to signal her allies, but no response comes. She’s about to try again, desperation seeping in, when Helena’s signal echoes around her. The sound brings her some relief, but it’s wiped away quickly by Terra yelling her name in the distance. She runs straight for it. Terra keeps yelling for her, and sometimes Helena. She knows it could be a trap, but she can’t risk it. She breaks into a small clearing and sees Terra trapped under a net, likely set up by the careers. Dinah pulls her knife out and drops down to cut the ropes and free her. Terra stands quickly and hugs her tightly.

“You’re okay. You’re okay.” Dinah tells Terra, and herself. She pulls away and glances up at the sight of someone running towards them. It’s Helena, but she looks worse than before, and she looks panicked, too.

“Behind you!” She yells. Dinah whips around, drawing an arrow and firing as she does. Roy drops to his knees, arrow in his neck, but Dinah knows as the cannon goes off for him that the spear he threw hit it’s target. She heard it do so. She turns slowly, not wanting to face it, to find Terra pulling the spear from her stomach. Dinah catches her as she falls and lays her head in her lap. Dinah feels like she’s going to be sick. The look in Terra’s eyes makes it obvious she knows that she can’t recover from this. 

“It’s okay.” Dinah tells her, holding back her own tears as one slides down the young girl’s cheek. “You’re okay.”

“Did you blow up the food?” Terra whispers.

“Every bit of it.”

“You have to win. One of you has to.” She says. Dinah turns her head, reminded of Helena’s presence, and finds the girl has dropped to her knees a few yards away, maybe in a state of shock, maybe from an injury. Dinah can’t tell.

“We will.” She promises. She looks back up at Helena, overwhelmed with concern for one ally and grief for the other.

“Will you sing for me?” Terra chokes out. Dinah nods, and tries to find her voice even though her throat is tight from tears and smoke and fatigue.

 _“Deep in the meadow, under the willows. A bed of grass, a soft green pillow. Lay down your head, and close your eyes.”_ Terra’s eyes flutter shut, and her chest moves only slightly, but Dinah continues for her. _“And when they open, the sun will rise. Here it’s safe…”_ Dinah trails off as Terra’s breathing stops. Everything is silent around them, and then the mockingjays pick up the song, carrying it through the forest for everyone to hear. 

A cannon goes off overhead. Dinah closes her eyes gently, and she places a soft kiss to her forehead. The gamemakers will want her and Helena to leave so they can retrieve the two bodies. She takes the girl’s pack, and she goes to stand, but then she looks at Helena. She’s unmoving, but tears stream down her face as she stares at the lifeless body of the child she was so determined to protect. Dinah looks down at Terra, and Helena’s words from the rooftop play back in her head. Dinah wants to show them, all of them, that they aren’t just pieces in their games, that Terra and Barry and every tribute before them were more than just casualties of the games, that there is something in all of them that the Capitol can never own, no matter how hard it tries. She walks slowly to Helena and lays Terra’s backpack next to her.

“Stay with her, okay?” She whispers. Helena doesn’t respond, or even blink for that matter. Dinah goes a little ways into the forest where a bed of wildflowers blossom all different colors. There’s purple and yellow and blue and white… She gathers as many as she can and returns to the small clearing. She decorates Terra’s body, places every stem deliberately, weaving them through her hair, and placing a bouquet of them in her hands over the wound. The Capitol will have no choice but to show it. Dinah stands carefully, afraid she may collapse from grief, kisses three fingers, and raises them to give her district’s three finger salute to Terra. She walks away, not turning back, but stopping when she reaches Helena. She squats down in front of her, and finally Helena looks at her.

“It’s time to go, Helena.”

“I can’t leave her.” She whispers. Dinah places a hand on either side of the older girl’s face and shakes her head at her.

“We can’t do anything more for her.” She drops her hands and curls them into Helena’s. “We need to move.” Helena lets Dinah pull her to her feet, and they head deeper into the forest. They can hear the sound of the hovercraft picking up Terra and Roy, but neither of them bothers to look back. They’re walking past a thick of trees when a young mockingjay lands on a branch beside them. It sings, seemingly to the two of them, Terra’s signal, the one that lets them know she’s safe, and Dinah drops to the ground sobbing. Helena kneels beside her and holds her tightly as she cries, muffling Dinah’s yells in her shoulder. They’re there for what seems like forever when a silver parachute floats down from the sky. It lands at their feet, and Dinah opens it cautiously. Her hope is for medicine for Helena’s leg, but instead it’s bread. Dark brown bread with seeds on it. There’s a note inside that reads _“From District 11. -R & D.”_ Dinah hands it to Helena so she can read it and looks up, hoping a camera will show her face.

“Thank you.” She whispers. Suddenly, Chas Chandler’s voice booms overhead, startling both of them.

 _“Attention tributes, attention. The regulations requiring a single victor have been suspended.”_ Dinah and Helena share a confused look. _“From now on, two victors may be crowned, if they are both of the same gender. This will be the only announcement.”_ Dinah’s jaw drops as she looks at Helena. After all the time she’s spent worrying she may have to kill the career to go home, she won’t have to. 

“Helena, we can both go home.” She says. Helena doesn’t seem excited, though. Instead, she looks down and lifts the edge of her shirt up to reveal a cut, deeper than the infected one on her thigh, stretching across her side. They had been so caught up in everything that Dinah hadn’t even noticed the growing bloodstain on the other girl’s shirt. Helena offers her a hopeless smile.

“I’m not so sure about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again. i am sorry. 
> 
> and also thank you for reading! i would appreciate any kudos/comments you are willing to send my way because that (and hyperfixation) is what motivates me to crank out fuckin. 7-10k word chapters for yall.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall may have another 10k word chapter...... as a treat.....
> 
> seriously though i was fucking DETERMINED to get the games themselves to fit into two chapters and ya bitch did it. so. i really hope yall enjoy this chapter because i had to put my daily "thinkin about lesbian sex" time aside to finish it. also bc im proud of it. which brings me to my next point..... as always pls ignore any typos. no beta no edit beyond spell check we die like men

Dinah’s heart stops beating at the sight of the ugly wound. It had occurred to her when she first saw her, of course, that Helena could be hurt, but the career didn’t make any effort to let her know that as they walked away from Terra. She wants to bang her head against a nearby rock or tree for not stopping to make sure Helena wasn’t injured. She should have known the girl was far too stubborn to just supply that information willingly. Dinah reaches out and nudges Helena to sit on the ground; she’s pleased that she doesn’t get any fight from her over it.

“What happened?” Dinah asks as she examines the wound closely and tries to form some kind of plan. Helena snorts.

“Damian came out of nowhere. He was alone, too. I was expecting to see Rachel or Roy but… they weren’t there. I think they split up to each head for a different fire or something, but he found us. I told her to run. To get out as fast as she could. I was just sure the other two were close and if they showed up there was no way I could protect her and so I told her to run but I never would have done that if I knew that-”

“Helena!” Dinah cuts her off, hands going to the girl’s face. She’s beyond concerned, and not just because of how distraught the girl is or the two sword wounds on her, but also because her face is much warmer than it should be, even in the heat of the arena. It’s what brings attention to the thin layer of sweat on her skin and her ragged breathing. Dinah tries not to let her features show that the signs of infection are getting worse fast. She doesn’t know how to help Helena, so she settles for brushing her hair out of her face and placing a kiss on her cheek. “It’s going to be okay.” She whispers.

“Don’t lie to me.” Helena bites out. Dinah sighs in frustration.

“We should go to the stream. I can try to clean your wounds up and we can form a plan from there.” Helena doesn’t say anything, but she does reach a hand up when Dinah stands, a silent request for help. Dinah obliges, and helps lift her up. She pulls Helena’s arm over her shoulders and helps her to walk slowly in the direction of the water. Dinah figures they’re maybe five minutes from it if they keep the same pace the whole way. Both tributes are on alert, ready to have to fight off any possible assailants. Damian and Rachel are probably trying to figure out a new camp situation at the moment, but that doesn’t mean Jaime and Garfield aren’t still threats to them. Maybe it’s paranoia, but Dinah’s gaze shifts from the direction of the stream to the pained expression on Helena’s face to the forest behind them and back around like clockwork. 

When they reach the stream, Dinah helps gently lower Helena to the ground where she can lean against a boulder right next to the water. Dinah starts digging through their bags to try and find anything that could be useful, but there isn’t anything that can be used for first aid. She resists the urge to scream. Not much could make their situation worse at this point. She fills up all three water bottles they have and goes about pouring them over the wound on Helena’s leg. It washes away dirt and dried blood revealing what looks like stitches. Dinah jerks her head up suddenly in surprise to look at Helena.

“What?” She asks. Her tone isn’t angry anymore, just tired and beaten down.

“What did you stitch this wound with?” Dinah points at her leg. Helena has to think for a minute like she can’t remember it.

“Oh, uhh… Terra um. She cut a thread from her jacket and used it and a piece of metal coiI think. Smart kid.” Her voice trails off a bit from exhaustion, but the information is everything. Dinah yanks a knife off of Helena’s belt with no resistance and uses it to cut a thread from her own jacket. She gets as long of one as she can, and then she digs around in the bag for a metal coil. She finds it at the bottom after a moment and snaps off a piece of it with some decent effort. 

“Helena, look at me.” Helena’s eyes flutter open in confusion. Dinah moves to kneel next to her and tries to support her back with one arm and her stomach with the next. “I need you to lay down so I can clean and stitch that wound up. We can’t leave it open. We have to be quick, though.” Helena just nods and does her best to help Dinah get her laying down across the rock. She hisses in pain as she does so, but Dinah ignores it. She has to. She can’t get distracted.

She lifts the hem of Helena’s shirt to reveal the cut and immediately goes about rinsing it off. Helena squeezes her eyes shut in pain and tries not to make any noise that could draw attention to their location. Dinah fiddles with the thread and cord for a moment until she’s pleased with the makeshift needle. It isn’t good, not even in the slightest, but it’s all they have. They can’t wait for a sponsor to drop a first aid kit for them. That could take too long. Dinah wishes she had the medical knowledge her mom, or even Cass, have. They’re constantly helping treat and care for workers injured at the sawmills or out in the woods. Either of them would know how to help Helena. Dinah feels useless, though. She takes a deep breath and tries to push any fear or insecurity aside as she starts stitching the wound. It’s disgusting, honestly, and the muffled cries Helena is forcing down don’t help her feel any better. It feels like it takes hours to get the wound fully stitched, but by the time she’s done the sun has barely moved across the sky.

“Dinah.” Helena rasps. She props herself up on her elbows when she doesn’t even get eye contact as a response. “Dinah.”

“Shh.” Dinah knows what she’s going to say, and she doesn’t want to hear it.

“Dinah, I-”

“No!” She looks up in anger. “I’m not leaving you here. I won’t do that.” Helena seems taken aback by the statement.

“No, I… I know. I just… I wanted to apologize. For snapping back there. I’m sorry.” Dinah is just as shocked by the response. She shakes her head and turns her attention to their supplies. While Helena rests, she wants to consolidate the three bags into two so it’s easier to travel with their things.

“It’s okay.” She says offhandedly as she starts moving things around. They’re both silent as they sit there, and Dinah finds herself frowning. Helena only snapped because she knows how bad her situation is. She’s fully aware of how much closer to death she is than she planned to be at this point in the games. Dinah looks up and they lock eyes. “You’re going to be okay.” Helena nods. She doesn’t quite believe it, but she appreciates the determination of her ally. Dinah gets the backpacks sorted out and stands up. The sun is going to start setting soon and being out in the open in their state is far from a good idea.

“Where are we gonna go?” Helena asks as Dinah pulls her up and helps her get one of the backpacks on. 

“I don’t know, but we have to get away from here. Find a somewhat safe place to hide out until you’re stronger. I figure we’ll head downstream?” Helena just nods. She doesn’t want to argue, and it isn’t like she has any better ideas anyway. She lets Dinah support her again and they start their trek forward. They make it maybe sixty yards when Dinah spots a small cave and heads for it. Ideally, they would take to the trees again, but she knows Helena isn’t in good enough shape to even attempt climbing. The sun is beginning to set as they half stumble into the cave. Dinah lays out both of their sleeping bags and helps Helena into one of them. The poor girl is sheet white and shaking, and every breath from her is so laboured it just sounds painful. Dinah puts the back of her hand to her forehead and frowns at the worsening fever. The bags under her eyes are worse, too, and she exhales shakily through her nose like she’s about to cry.

“Dinah?” She whispers. The younger girl tilts her head sadly and brushes some of the hair from Helena’s eyes.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t want to die.”

“No,” Dinah says. “You’re not going to die.”

“I might.” Helena argues.

“We just need to get you some medicine, okay? That’s it.” Helena laughs, but not in amusement.

“I don’t get parachutes, Dinah. The bread was the first one, and it wouldn’t have come if it weren’t for… Breaking from the career pack has consequences. I’m paying them now.”

“No, I’m not listening to this. You are not dying in here. I won’t let you.” 

“Dinah-” Helena is cut off by Dinah’s lips meeting hers, and she can’t help but sigh into the kiss. It’s something she’s thought about since training. Something she never thought she would get. Dinah pulls back, and then she awkwardly tugs the edge of the sleeping bag up to cover Helena more.

“Get some rest, okay?” Helena just nods and closes her eyes. She doesn’t want to fight with Dinah, so she just focuses on trying to sleep despite the pain and her fever. Just as she drifts off, a beeping noise gets the other girl’s attention. Dinah gets up and peeks out of the cave just as a parachute floats down to her. She catches it as it lands and is quick to unscrew the lid. Her hope, obviously, is medicine, but instead it’s a hot broth. There’s a strip of paper with it, much like the one that came with the bread, that says _“What kind of kiss was that? -R.”_ Dinah frowns. She and Barry had the opportunity to be a forbidden romance, but Renee’s message makes her think that the audience may be rooting for her and Helena. They could still spin the star crossed lovers. It could be her ticket out of the arena. In fact, Renee’s message seems clear to Dinah. She wants more to work with. Something that she can use to get them medicine. She imagines Dick Grayson is out there trying to spin the same story to help her and Helena, too. The thought of the two mentors teaming up to sell the sponsors on the romance, a career and a volunteer, both desperate to get home together, fills her with hope she thought was gone the moment that spear hit Terra. She turns and runs back into the cave in excitement.

“Helena,” She nudges the girl gently, but she’s so on edge because of the games that it’s enough to have her sitting up in a panic. It’s gone when she sees Dinah sitting by her with the parachute and is replaced with pain radiating through her body. Dinah moves one of the backpacks behind her to help Helena sit up easier. “We got a parachute.”

“Medicine?”

“No, it’s soup.” Helena’s hope disappears with that, and she looks like she’s about to slide back down to the ground, but Dinah catches her and makes her stay sitting up. “Come on, you need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry.” Dinah frowns at that. Helena’s tone isn’t stubborn for once; she genuinely doesn’t want the soup. Dinah sets the canister down and pulls leftover meat from when she had gone hunting earlier in the morning. She hopes it will seem more enticing, but when she holds it out Helena jerks her head to the side and looks like she’s going to be sick. Dinah’s heart sinks, but she refuses to give up. She decides to go back to the soup since it will be easier for the brunette to keep down.

“I know you don’t feel good, H, but you have to eat.”

“I’m tired.” She grumbles. Dinah resists the urge to roll her eyes.

“Helena.”

“Dinah.” Both of them narrow their eyes at each other.

“I’m going to beat the shit out of you if you don’t eat the soup.” Helena seems vaguely impressed by the threat, and incredibly amused by it, but Dinah’s expression doesn’t change. “Helena, you can’t get better if you don’t eat.” 

“Just the idea of eating makes me feel sick.” Helena tells her, averting her gaze.

“I understand,” Dinah leans in and kisses Helena’s forehead. She’s trying to be as gentle as possible, partly for Helena’s sake, and partly because building their love story up could be the difference maker in the end. “But it still doesn’t change that you really need to eat. Can you have some soup, please? For me?” Helena exhales slowly and thinks carefully about it for a few seconds before nodding. Dinah smiles and takes the lid back off the parachute. Helena reaches out for it, but Dinah gently nudges her bruised hands away.

“It’s okay. I’ll do it.” She lifts a spoonful of the broth to Helena’s lips. It takes almost an hour of coaxing, and sometimes begging, for Dinah to finally get Helena through the entirety of the soup. She helps her to lie back down and urges her to sleep. Once she’s sure that Helena is out for the night she makes her way to the mouth of the cave just in time to catch the start of the anthem. Roy is the first to appear, followed by the girl from 3, Terra, and then the boy from 10. Dinah figures he had to have been the one first thing in the morning who had died. The day has been unbearably long. Her stomach churns at the thought that Terra was alive and smiling and laughing with Helena who was up and walking around less than twelve hours ago. She makes her way back into the cave and gets a leg off the rabbit. She eats it and some roots from Terra’s stuff while she takes stock of who all is left. She and Helena obviously are, as well as Damian and Rachel. Jaime and Garfield are around the arena somewhere, too, but she’s seen far less of them, and has no real clue where they may be. She figures Damian and Rachel have moved their camp to the lake or somewhere near it. Garfield is probably moving around with no set camp based on what she’s observed. Jaime, though.... Dinah has no clue. She hasn’t seen him since the first day. He could be anywhere, really. He’s a massive threat, too. He’s even bigger than Damian is and scored just as well as the careers did in training. She wonders if he’s killed anyone, yet. Does he have sponsors supporting him? Did he know Terra? How does he feel after seeing her face projected in the sky? 

Helena groans in pain beside her as she shifts on the ground, drawing Dinah’s attention back to their dire situation. If Helena doesn’t get medicine soon, then they are absolutely fucked, for lack of better words. Dinah ponders for a moment how she would have reacted if things had been different. If she and Helena hadn’t been allies when the rule change was announced would she have gone to find her? Would Helena have come to find Dinah? She knows the answer to the second one immediately. Helena absolutely would have tracked Dinah down. The thought makes her feel a bit queasy because she truly doesn’t know if she would do the same. Of course she cares about the taller girl, and she would even be comfortable saying she loves her, but it is no secret to either of them that Helena’s feelings are stronger than Dinah’s are. She would like to think she would do it, that she’s as good of a person as she wants to be, but she just isn’t sure.

Helena doesn’t wake up until several hours later. The sun is just beginning to rise and is turning the sky a light shade of pink as it does so. Mockingjays and other birds are chirping and singing here and there. If it weren’t for the fact that they’re in an arena fighting to the death with other kids it would probably feel quite peaceful. Helena struggles to sit up for a moment, but eventually she manages to do it on her own. She rubs at her eyes and groans. 

“You didn’t sleep?” She asks, looking at Dinah.

“I was keeping watch. In case, Rachel and Damian or Jaime came around.” Helena chuckles.

“Not worried about the kid from 5, huh?” Dinah smiles confidently as she pulls her backpack over to herself and starts looking for the rest of the rabbit.

“I could take him.”

“Yeah, you could.” Helena whispers. The soft tone in her voice has Dinah glancing at her from the corner of her eyes. The confidence and faith the career has in her suddenly feels heavy, and she has to choke down her guilt at the fact she hesitates to say she would have tried to find her. She clears her throat awkwardly as she pulls the wrapped up rabbit meat out.

“So-”

“I’m not eating unless you sleep.” Helena says, stopping her before she can even attempt to say anything. Dinah scowls at her, but the injured girl is unwavering. “You can’t stay up forever. You have to rest, too.” Dinah sighs in defeat.

“Okay, but if I sleep can you promise me you’ll eat the rabbit? You need the protein from it.” Helena nods.

“Yeah, of course. I’ll eat.” She reaches out to take the rabbit to prove her point. “And if something happens I promise I’ll wake you up and not just try to handle it on my own.” That’s enough for Dinah. She isn’t stupid; she knows Helena is right. She can’t stop sleeping right as the games near their end. Being exhausted as the gamemakers start forcing the tributes into fights and other dangerous situations is a recipe for disaster. She shuffles over to where Helena is leaning against her backpack and lays down slowly, resting her head against the girl’s uninjured side. Helena tenses for a moment.

“Dinah… even if I don’t make it-”

“Shhh,” Dinah silences her and places her hand just below Helena’s sternum. “Stop.” Helena relaxes instantly under the touch, and she lets whatever she wants to say go. Dinah closes her eyes and tries not to think about the idea of her last ally not making it when they have a chance to both go home. Helena unwraps the rabbit so she can keep her end of the deal, and the sound of the plastic being taken off the meat is the last thing Dinah hears before she drifts off.

 _“-ibutes. Attention.”_ Dinah shoots up into a sitting position as Chas Chandler’s voice booms around the arena. It’s almost dark outside the cave, which means it must be just at or past sunset, and Helena let her sleep longer than she would like. She does feel far more rested, though, so she opts to let it go and not feel too angry at the girl. Especially because she accidentally pushes off Helena as she sits up, causing her to bite out a string of curse words in pain. 

_“Commencing at sunrise, there will be a feast at the cornucopia.”_ Dinah rolls her eyes. Food is the least of their concerns at the moment. Chas continues, though. _“This will be no ordinary feast, however. Each of you needs something desperately.”_ She whips around to look at Helena. She’s still sheet white and sweating. Her water bottle beside her looks too full, and the amount of rabbit meat that appears to be rewrapped and placed on the ground indicates that she wasn’t able to choke down much food again. The “feast” has to have medicine for her; that has to be what Chas is hinting at. _“We plan to be… generous hosts. Each of you will find that which you need in a bag with your district number on it.”_ His announcement ends, and Dinah practically jumps up, grabbing her bow as she does. Helena shoots out an arm and grabs the edge of Dinah’s jacket.

“No. You are not going alone.”

“Oh and you’re going to come with me?” Dinah says, jerking her jacket from the shaky hands as her anger boils to the surface out of seemingly nowhere. “You can’t even fucking walk, Helena, and you need the medicine.”

“I’m not letting you risk your life for me! Damian and Rachel are still out there, and like you already mentioned, so are Jaime and Garfield. That’s definitely two against one, if not three or four against one. I can’t let you do that.”

“Let me?!” Dinah yells, leaning in close to Helena so their faces are only a few inches apart. “You don’t let me do anything. I make my own choices, Helena, but you wouldn’t know much about that since everyone in your life has made every decision for you, huh?” Helena flinches and looks away, and Dinah’s anger dissipates immediately. She didn’t mean to hurt her; hurting her is the last thing she wants. Everything is just so stressful in the arena already, and their last twenty four hours have been hell. She can’t lose Helena, too. The medicine is more than worth the risk. She lowers herself back down to the cold ground. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Helena mumbles. She turns her head back to meet Dinah’s eyes again. “Just… please don’t go.”

“You would do it for me.” Dinah whispers. They’re silent for a moment as Helena tries to get a read on her. She has no idea what to expect from the girl from 7. Dinah is a mystery to her.

“Why are you doing this?” Dinah acts on instinct. She drops her bow to the ground and leans in. Her hands go to either side of Helena’s face and she connects their lips. Her first thought is of how warm Helena feels, how unnaturally and concerningly warm she is, but her second thought is of how surprisingly soft her lips are. Even though they’re both covered in dirt and blood, there’s something fresh that comes from the moment, like the first breath you take as you break the surface of the water. Helena melts into it; her muscles go weak and relaxed even as her heart picks up speed. Dinah lets her thumbs slide slowly along Helena’s chiseled jawline. For a split second there’s a joke in her head about how she’s from the masonry district, but it disappears as she realizes that this is not their first kiss, but it is the first to make her want another. The thought makes her gasp softly, and that’s what has Helena pulling back slowly from her. She looks up at Dinah with those sad brown eyes and shakes her head.

“You know there is no way I’m letting you go now.”

“Helena-”

“Please.” It’s broken and choked up and desperate, and Dinah doesn’t know how to tell her no. She doesn’t want to break Helena’s heart, but to lie to her and say she’ll stay when she won’t is almost worse. She needs a solution, a way to keep Helena from following her.

“Okay,” Dinah whispers. “I’m going to go refill our water bottles. It won’t take long, and when I get back we can talk about it some more, okay?” Helena hesitates, but then she nods. Dinah stands, picking her bow back up, and grabs both of their bottles. 

She heads straight out into the dark evening and to the edge of the stream. It’s not pitch black out, but it is dark enough that Dinah feels confident she isn’t easy to spot in the moment. She fills up both bottles and then adds the appropriate amount of iodine drops to make sure it’s purified. The last thing Helena needs in her state is to be drinking dirty water. Dinah is about to head back for the cave when a familiar sound catches her attention. She looks up as a silver parachute floats toward her. She desperately wants it to be medicine, but she knows the odds aren’t in her favor for that. As the games go on, sponsors have to be willing to pay more money. The price of medicine on day one will only buy a loaf or two of bread on day eight. Dinah catches the parachute and unscrews it. A small vial filled with a clear liquid she doesn’t recognize is on the inside along with a strip of paper. She holds the paper out a bit to catch the words in the moonlight. _“This amount should knock her out and buy you some time. Please save her. -D”_ Dinah is overcome with relief. It isn’t the best case scenario, of course, but it’s a good enough solution for her. The vial is a sleep syrup, one strong enough to put Helena out for long enough that Dinah should be able to go and get the medicine needed. It’s unusual, and practically unheard of, for mentors to arrange for parachutes for a tribute other than their own. It only ever occurs in the case of alliances, and even then it’s almost entirely limited to career alliances. Dinah knows that her receiving a parachute from Dick Grayson is a big deal. He’s clearly doing it, first and foremost, because he believes it’s the best way to save Helena, but it’s also a sign of him placing his trust in Dinah and Renee to help him and his tribute. Dinah looks up, hoping a camera will capture her face, and mouths, “Thank you.”

She unscrews the top of Helena’s water bottle and pours the entirety of it into the bottle. Luckily, it doesn’t change the color of liquid, but the slightly bitter smell does raise concerns. Dinah fastens the cap back on and shakes it up. She hopes Helena is sick enough she won’t think anything of it and will just drink it. It’s her only shot at this. If anything messes it up she’ll be left without a plan for keeping the injured career alive. Dinah makes the short trek back to the cave and smiles at Helena as she enters. Helena gives a small smile back, but really she just looks extremely tired. Dinah sits beside her and offers the spiked water bottle out to her.

“Here,” she says. “You need to stay hydrated.” Helena doesn’t argue or make any kind of fuss. It’s probably because she just doesn’t have the energy to. She takes the bottle and unscrews the cap while yawning. Dinah watches as she lifts the bottle to drink. There’s a moment where she’s ready for Helena to set it down and point out that it smells or tastes weird, but she doesn’t, and for once Dinah is grateful for the infection. Helena drinks almost the entire bottle before her eyes narrow and she looks at it oddly. It takes her a minute, but then she puts the puzzle pieces together. Dinah can tell because when her weary gaze shoots up to her there’s nothing in her eyes except betrayal.

“Tell me you didn’t.” Helena begs. Dinah can see how quick she’s fading, and she moves the backpack from behind her and guides the career to lay back down in her sleeping bag.

“I’m so sorry, H.” She whispers. Helena shakes her head as she struggles to keep her eyes open.

“No you aren’t.” Dinah runs her fingers through the girl’s brunette hair soothingly.

“Sleep. I’ll be back before you know it with medicine to get you back on your feet, alright?” She looks ready to argue, but Dinah isn’t having it. “Shh… Don’t speak. Just sleep.” She keeps running her fingers through Helena’s hair and whispering to her as she tries to fight off sleep. She isn’t strong enough to not succumb to the syrup’s effects, though, especially not while hurt and sick. When her eyes finally drift shut and her breathing evens out, Dinah gathers her supplies and heads out of the cave for the feast.

After what feels like days worth of walking, Dinah reaches the cornucopia just before sunrise. She situates herself in a bush, unwilling to be the first to move. At the mouth of the cornucopia is a steel table with six individual bags on it. Each bag is labeled with a district number for each of the tributes still left. Dinah knows that the one with the 2 on it should be her priority; it will definitely have Helena’s medicine. She can’t help but wonder what’s in the one labeled with a 7, though, and if it would even be worth it to try and grab it, too. Odds are Rachel and Damian are waiting nearby to take out her or Jaime as soon as they reveal themselves. They’ll probably take out Garfield if given the chance, but Dinah is more than aware that she’s probably their biggest target. Helena is the only tribute they seem as determined to make a show out of killing. She wonders if the other two careers are aware of how bad of condition Helena is in. She panics for a moment at the thought that she left Helena alone and vulnerable in that cave, and if Damian or Rachel, or even Jaime or Garfield for that matter, stumble upon her… She shakes her head at the thought. It’s too late to turn back. She just has to hope that everyone’s attention is on the cornucopia.

She knows everyone outside the arena has their attention on it. An event like the feast is enough to have school cancelled and work brought to a halt. Everyone is expected to watch, and it can be assumed that everyone in a district with tributes left will be watching. The morale in 7 is probably the highest it’s been in over a decade. Maybe even since Renee won her games twenty four years ago. Dinah wonders how Cass and her mom are. Did they sleep even a little during the night or were they kept awake by fear and concern? They’ll be up and awake early, tuned in for the feast. They can stay home to watch, but there’s always the chance they’ll go to the square to watch with the crowd. They would offer support, or condolences, to Dinah’s family. They’ll be cheering her on the whole time; Greasy Sal, neighbors, peacekeepers who buy her game… They’ll all be on the edge of their seats as the sun rises. Her mind drifts to Oliver. He won’t be screaming and cheering, but she knows he’s watching. He’s her best friend, maybe something more than that, and he’ll be willing her to come home with every passing moment. Dinah can’t help but wonder how he feels about her and Helena. The star-crossed lovers and the glances and the kissing.

She’s ripped from her thoughts by the sight of Garfield running out of the cornucopia and up to the table. He grabs his bag and no others, probably aware that by taking someone else’s he’ll have invited someone to follow him. He runs off into the woods without anyone pursuing after him. Dinah is impressed, honestly. Hiding inside the cornucopia was a brilliant idea. She regrets not raising her bow and taking him out while she had the opportunity, but she’s fairly certain she won’t need to worry about him. She doesn’t want to underestimate anyone in the arena, but she doesn’t plan on actively hunting anyone down. He’ll probably be taken out by Damian or Rachel before Dinah even sees him again. She waits to see if someone else is going to emerge next, but nobody does. She knows she has to go sooner rather than later to make sure her packs aren’t stolen. She’s at the perfect angle to just run straight and grab both bags without even stopping. She takes a deep breath, and sprints ahead. Her hand reaches out for the bag with the 2 and yanks it over her shoulder while she opts to just try and carry the one labeled with a 7 in her hand. 

Dinah senses the danger and ducks just as a knife whizzes over her head. The blade catches her skin and cuts open her forehead, sending blood running down her face. It makes it hard to see out of her left eye, and the metallic taste of blood fills her mouth. She staggers back, dropping the bag in her hand and drawing an arrow. She fires, but Rachel dodges with ease and tackles her to the ground. Dinah brings her knee up into the smaller girl’s stomach and tries to push her off, but they just end up rolling in the grass a few times before the career pins her down with her knees on Dinah’s shoulders. She tries to push her off, but Rachel brings her largest knife to Dinah’s neck to keep her in place. Dinah wants it to be quick, for Cass and her mom and Oliver’s sake, but she’s sure it won’t be.

“Where’s Helena at, huh?” Rachel asks with a sneer. “Damian said you two are working together, but he also said he fucked her up pretty good the other day. Are you taking some bandages or some medicine to her? Think you can save her?” Dinah struggles against the girl’s hold, but it’s pointless. Rachel may not be very big, but she clearly has the strength that should be expected from careers. “You can’t save Helena. You couldn’t even save that little girl. What was her name again? Terra? Just like I couldn’t save Kory or Roy. All we can save is ourselves.” Rachel seems angry about it, and it’s the first time Dinah considers that she isn’t the only one who has lost friends and struggled through the games. They’re all just kids with a death sentence. “You could have saved yourself a lot of trouble, Dinah, but you didn’t, so we killed her. And now? We’re going to kill you.” 

She raises her knife up, and Dinah is fully prepared to meet her end, but then Rachel is being yanked off of her. Dinah sits up in shock and watches as Jaime holds Rachel against the wall of the cornucopia. He’s holding her almost a foot off the ground. Dinah forgot how big he was after a week of not seeing him, but while he holds one of the biggest threats in the games up like a ragdoll she’s violently reminded. Rachel struggles against his hold, but it’s useless. He looks pissed beyond belief.

“You kill her? The little girl, you kill her?” He yells.

“No, no!” Rachel attempts. He slams her against the wall, not hard enough to do damage, but enough to get his point across.

“I heard you! You said her name!”

“Damian!” Rachel cries out. “Damian, help!” The sound of her voice, broken and terrified, sets a chill down Dinah’s spine. She hears Damian call back, but it’s so distant. There’s no way he’ll make it on time. Rachel is a goner. She and Dinah both know it.

“You killed her!” Jaime shouts angrily. He pulls her back and slams her against the wall once, twice, and then throws her against it like she’s nothing. Rachel’s body falls to the ground in a heap, and though her chest is still rising and falling slowly, Dinah knows it won’t be for long. Jaime whirls around on her.

“Just this time, 7. That’s it. For Terra.” Damian desperately yells again for Rachel, but he’s closer now. “You better run, Girl on Fire.” Jaime warns. Dinah doesn’t need to be told twice. She stumbles to her feet, grabbing the bag she dropped as she did, and runs into the woods in the direction of the cave as fast as she can manage.

Dinah’s heart is racing as she stumbles into the opening of the cave. The only thing keeping her from full on panic is that the only cannon she’s heard all day was the one for Rachel as she tore through the forest. Helena is awake; that’s the first thing she notices. The second is that Helena is far closer to the entrance of the cave than she was when Dinah left her. She’s curled up on the cold ground with an arm wrapped around herself. Dinah drops down beside her and puts a hand on her shoulder. Helena flinches away violently, but then she relaxes at the sight of Dinah. 

“I got the medicine.” Dinah tells her. Helena narrows her eyes as her vision focuses.

“What happened to you?” She reaches up, trying to touch the still bleeding cut on Dinah’s forehead. 

“I’m fine. What happened to you?” Dinah deflects. “Why did you move?”

“Tried to come find you.” Helena coughs and tries to sit up, but Dinah holds her still with little effort. She tries to ignore the way her stomach feels at the idea of Helena giving everything she had to come to Dinah’s rescue. “Didn’t get very far, though, as you can see.” Dinah laughs a little, trying to find humor in the situation, but then Helena looks at her sadly. “You shouldn’t have gone. You got hurt.”

“It’s okay. It was just Rachel. She threw a knife. I’m okay. I promise.” Dinah reassures. She opens the bag with the 2 on it and pulls out a small canister. She unscrews the top and feels more relieved than she probably ever has before when it’s filled with medicine. She dips her fingers in the ointment and immediately starts spreading it over the cut on Helena’s leg. It must have some kind of immediate effect because Helena jerks back and gasps the moment it touches the wound.

“I’m sorry.” Dinah whispers as she spreads it. “Okay, lay still for me. I’ve got to get that other cut and it’s probably going to hurt even worse.” Helena nods and squeezes her eyes shut. Dinah raises her shirt up and starts to spread some of the medicine over the inflamed skin. Helena has to hold back a yell of pain as she grimaces, so Dinah makes it as quick as possible.

“Fuck, it’s already starting to feel better.” Helena says when she’s finished. She reaches out and snatches the canister from Dinah’s hand. “Now your turn.”

“I’m fine.”

“Dinah.” Helena snaps. “I’m not asking.” Dinah concedes. She feels bad enough for drugging Helena and lying to her, even if it was in order to save her; she can at least give her this. She leans in and lets Helena gently spread some of the medicine along the cut on her forehead. Helena’s hand lingers by her face for a moment, and Dinah thinks she might say something. She doesn’t. Instead, she just looks at her, and it might be the most genuine and loving look someone has ever given her. Dinah doesn’t know if she feels crushed or lifted by the thought.

They stay there for a little bit, talking softly about their families and passing a water bottle back and forth. Dinah tells Helena about how she lost her father and how Cass got adopted by her mother. She tells her about the homemade bread her mom bakes when they can afford the ingredients and about the inaugural snowball fight with Cass and Oliver and his sisters each winter. Helena tells Dinah about Pino and how losing him made her lose what little of her father and mother she had left. She tells her about all of the books from the old world in her father’s study and about the way her mother refuses to hire a private chef because she loves cooking. They open the backpack labeled for District 7 and find it’s filled with enough food and fresh water they won’t have to leave the cave at all for the rest of the night if they don’t want to. Dinah helps Helena move back to her sleeping bag and they eat dinner quietly together until the anthem plays outside. They don’t watch to see who died. They just curl up in their two sleeping bags and hold each other closely until they both drift off to sleep.

Dinah wakes up first in the morning. The mockingjays are singing from the trees outside the cave. The sun is bright outside, so she assumes they slept well past early morning. Helena’s chest is rising and falling steadily under Dinah’s head. Their fingers are laced together and resting on the career’s stomach. She’s still a little drowsy, so she tilts her head up and nuzzles her nose into Helena’s neck. It’s enough to wake the girl up. Dinah looks up at her when she feels her shift, and Helena’s eyes go wide. She puts a hand on either side of Dinah’s face and inspects where the cut from Rachel was.

“Holy shit,” she breathes out. “It’s so much better.” Dinah feels her forehead, and when she finds only smooth skin there she sits up immediately. She jerks the edge of Helena’s shirt up to reveal an almost completely healed wound. It looks like nothing more than a scratch.

“Helena… Oh my god.”

“I don’t even- I barely feel anything.” Dinah looks up and Helena meets her eyes.

“We could go home.” They’re close enough that Dinah can feel Helena’s breathing pick up a little at the statement. “We could. We’re the only allies left.” Helena grins in a way Dinah hasn’t seen since training, and it makes her stomach do flips.

“We could go home.” Helena whispers before pulling her into a hug. Both of them have a chance at making it out alive. It’s exhilarating.

They decide to head out into the woods. Dinah’s pack had enough food that they aren’t worried about going hungry, but they agree that it wouldn’t hurt to scavenge and hunt a little more just in case. Plus, the cave isn’t a safe location. It’s easy to be cornered and attacked while in there. Being out in the open woods gives them more space to run and defend themselves if another tribute happens upon them. 

“So we know Jaime took off, right? Probably to wherever he’s been since the start of the games. Damian will stick by the cornucopia. He’s alone now and has little to no supplies, so he’s not going to go somewhere unfamiliar.” Helena says as they cross the stream. “Garfield could be anywhere.”

“Yeah, so we’ll just have to keep our eyes peeled for him and maybe Jaime. We can do a little hunting around here for a bit.” Dinah says as they reach the treeline.

“Good plan. So, I’ll take the bow,” Helena says. Dinah raises her eyebrows in surprise, but Helena just laughs. “I’m just kidding. I’ll go pick some berries or some shit.” She walks off to go do just that, leaving Dinah smiling as she watches her walk off. There are moments, like when she’s joking and teasing Dinah, that Helena reminds her of Oliver. They both hate the Capitol and the games and what they both stand for. They’re both tall and brave and funny and generous and compassionate and, well, very attractive. Oliver is safe, though. He’s predictable. Dinah knows him inside and out, so he could never surprise her. Helena is new and unfamiliar, like an area of the woods that she’s never explored before. It’s nerve wracking, but also exciting. Dinah is grateful that of all people Renee arranged for her to have a fabricated romance with it was Helena. It helps that they have such good chemistry. Helena is also a quite impressive actress; she’s done so well at selling the romance that Dinah sometimes feels like she might mean it.

Dinah wanders through the woods for a little bit, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, before spotting a bird perched high on a tree branch. It’s an easy target, and she aims her bow up at it. She’s about to release the arrow when the sound of a cannon going off echoes in the distance. She forgets the bird immediately and takes off running in the direction she had come from.

“Helena!” Dinah yells. “Helena!” She turns a corner around a tree and finds Helena’s jacket laid out on the ground with a pile of berries on it. She drops down to look at them for a moment and her heart stops. It’s a decent sized pile of nightlock. Her dad’s voice from one of her first time’s out in the woods echoes in her brain. “Not these, Dinah. Never these. Even one of these and you’ll be dead in minutes.”

“Helena!” She yells again, taking off to try and find the career. She turns at a large tree just to collide with the girl in question. “Helena, oh my god.”

“Are you okay?” Dinah yanks her into a tight hug.

“I heard the cannon. I thought-”

“No, I’m here.” Helena reassures. Dinah pushes her back suddenly and looks at her hand. She’s got several of the poisonous berries in her palm. Dinah slaps them out of her hand angrily.

“That’s fucking nightlock, Helena! You’d be dead in no time!” Helena seems shocked by the anger directed at her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” She watches as Dinah’s eyes begin to water; it even looks like her lip quivers a little for a second.

“Damn you, Helena. You scared me to death.” Helena doesn’t know how to deal with the emotional outburst, so she settles for pulling Dinah back in for another hug. When Dinah seems to be done shaking in her arms, Helena lets go and lets her lead them back to where they had split up. Helena pauses when she spots something out of the corner of her eye, and she grabs Dinah’s wrist to stop her.

“Dinah… It was Garfield.” Dinah turns to look at her in confusion, and then she looks in the direction Helena is staring. Sure enough, Garfield is there, hidden between some bushes, dead on the ground. His lips are stained blue from the nightlock.

“He must have been following you.” Dinah whispers.

“I can’t believe I never knew he was there.” Dinah shrugs and leans down, scooping some of the berries still in Garfield’s hand into her own. Helena looks at her in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“Maybe Damian likes berries.” Helena hums in approval at the idea. She and Dinah gather what supplies they have left nearby and decide to head a little deeper into the woods. Helena whistles softly to herself and spins a throwing knife in her hand as they walk. Dinah gets lost in her thoughts for a bit, but then she decides to ask Helena a question that’s been burning at the back of her mind.

“Hey, Helena?” The taller girl hums to acknowledge Dinah. “Why were you so quick to accept me as an ally?” Helena’s answer comes without hesitation.

“I wanted you before we even set foot in the arena.” Dinah stops in her tracks.

“What? When did you decide that?” Helena shrugs.

“I knew during training I wanted to be your ally. When you threw the hatchet? It really sealed the deal for me.” She laughs a little. Her smile doesn’t fade, but it does grow more serious. “I knew the moment I saw you at the parade that I would never be able to get you out of my head, though.”

“I remember. I saw you staring at me.”

“I spent a lot of time staring at you, Dinah. It’s kind of pathetic, actually.” Dinah laughs in surprise.

“What? It couldn’t have been that much.”

“Oh, it was. Dick even made a joke about me drooling over you once.” Her eyes soften, and she looks at Dinah in that way that makes her feel vulnerable. “You just weren’t paying attention.”

“I am now.”

“That’s because I don’t have much competition here.” Helena says, turning away and trying to laugh it off. Dinah can see the way she’s trying to protect herself. She knows that strategy; she understands it. Helena is trying to protect herself in case Dinah doesn’t feel the same. It’s like she knows that Dinah has just been playing along as part of the show, but suddenly it becomes agonizingly clear to Dinah that Helena hasn’t been playing a role. She means every bit of it. Dinah doesn’t want to give her false hope, doesn’t want to hurt her, but something deep in her chest tells her it isn’t even a lie, so she says the first thing that comes to mind.

“You don’t have much competition anywhere.” Helena turns back to her. She looks surprised, and Dinah wonders if it’s because she heard the sincerity in her voice or if she just wasn’t expecting a response to her statement. Helena is about to speak, but then the sun starts setting out of nowhere.

“Guess it’s time for the big finale.” Helena mumbles. She draws a second knife so that both of her hands are armed and nods at Dinah. “Stay close?” Dinah nods and draws an arrow. 

The dark is uncomfortable for both of them. They move slowly, watching each other’s backs as much as they can. Out of nowhere, a collection of high pitched shrieks and howls echoes in the distance. The sound of someone yelling out in pain is mixed in there somewhere, and it makes the two of them stop and stare at each other for a moment. They both know what it is. Muttations, or mutts as most people call them, are a favorite of the gamemakers for spicing things up. They’re an easy tactic for forcing tributes together or causing some deaths to keep viewers interested. A cannon goes off as the sounds fade, and Jaime’s face is immediately projected into the night sky. Dinah’s heart sinks at the thought of him and of Terra and of their families and District 11. Helena puts a hand on her shoulder and gives a comforting squeeze, but she makes it a point to gesture ahead. They can’t be sitting ducks. Dinah nods, and they continue on in near silence. Helena pauses to look at a bush, almost like she sees something. Before Dinah can question it a massive dog-like creature is leaping from the bush onto Helena. Dinah shoots it in the neck, and Helena stumbles to her feet.

“Run! Dinah, run!” Helena yells. They both take off at a full sprint, trying to keep close as they head towards the cornucopia. Dinah keeps looking back. Helena is a few steps behind her, and she can’t help but worry that the older tribute’s leg will give out on her. It isn’t fully healed, and that terrifies Dinah, but Helena seems to be keeping pace just fine. They break through the treeline and head right for the center. Helena picks up speed and stops at the wall of the cornucopia to give Dinah a boost up.

“Come on! I’ve got you!” Dinah steps up, and she’s reminded of Helena’s upper body strength when she gets tossed more than lifted. She pulls herself onto the top of the metal structure and turns to help pull Helena up. The mutts have multiplied, and they’re close in just as Dinah pulls Helena up. One of the mutts leaps up and grabs at her calf. Helena yells in pain, but she manages to use her other leg to kick the creature several times in the snout. It lets go and drops, and Dinah pulls Helena the rest of the way to safety. She’s about to ask Helena if she’s okay when someone lifts her and tosses her aside. Damian punches Helena across the face and goes to bring his sword down on her, but Helena recovers quickly and rolls to the side. She swipes at his ankle with her knife causing him to stumble. She uses the momentum to kick the sword from his hand. It goes flying over the edge of the cornucopia, and that just enrages Damian more. He tackles Helena and trades body punches with her until she manages to pull a knife from her belt and jam it into his thigh. He screams out in pain and stumbles away from Helena. She scrambles towards Dinah to help her stand, but she isn’t quick enough. Damian yanks her back and pulls her into a headlock of some kind. She claws violently at the grapple, trying to get him to loosen his grip even a little so she can grab a knife off her belt, but it’s useless. Dinah draws her bow as she stands, an arrow pointed straight at the two of them.

“Go ahead. Shoot.” Damian tells her. He’s covered in blood and has several gashes in his face and arms. He has a black eye and countless other visible bruises. “Shoot and we both go down. And then you win, Girl on Fire.” He’s right. He’s managed to position himself perfectly so if Dinah shoots him he’ll fall into the pack of mutts, taking Helena to her death with him. He can’t kill Helena without guaranteeing an arrow in his skull, though. They’re at a stand still. “Go on. I’m dead anyway. I always was, wasn’t I? I mean, I didn’t know what until now.” The mutts have gone quiet, no longer barking and snapping and howling. They just wait. He tightens his grip on Helena’s neck and looks up to the sky. 

“Shoot,” Helena chokes out, trying to get Dinah to just do it. She shakes her head. She won’t do that to Helena even if it’s what she wants.

“How’s this? Is this what they want?” Damian yells. Helena tries again to get free, but Damian isn’t having it. He jerks her back to cover him more from Dinah’s aim. “No, no. I can still do this. One last kill. It’s the only thing she and I know how to do. Bring pride to our districts.” Dinah would feel for him in any other situation. She gets it. She knows how it feels to know you’re facing death. She knows how it is to feel hurt and angry and used. She blames the Capitol, too. She hates them just as much as Damian must. He’s given up, though. Dinah refuses to do so. She watches as Helena taps the back of his hand once. He doesn’t notice, though, just shrugs sadly. “Not that it matters, right?” Dinah lets go of the arrow and it hits its mark perfectly. The arrow to the hand is enough to make him let go of Helena with a pained yell, and she turns to shove him over the edge of the cornucopia before he can even try to stop her. He hits the ground with a thud, and then begins screaming as the mutts pounce and tear into him. Dinah can’t stand the sound of him screaming and crying and begging. She draws one last arrow and fires it directly into Damian’s skull. The cannon fires only a second later. Dinah turns and immediately pulls Helena into a hug, causing the career to hiss in pain.

“I’m sorry.” Dinah whispers, pulling back in concern. “Are you okay?” Helena waves it off. 

“I’ll be fine. Let’s get off this thing.” She says. The sun is rising over them. The fight is over. They’re both ready to go home. They slide off of the structure and to the ground where they stand for a minute awaiting the announcement of their victory. Chas Chandler’s voice booms out around the arena.

 _“Attention, tributes. Attention. There has been a slight rule change.”_ Dinah and Helena share a confused look. _“The previous revision, allowing for two victors of the same gender, has been revoked. Only one victor may be crowned. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.”_ The two of them stand in silence for a moment, shocked and betrayed and heartbroken. They should have known. The rule change was put in place to build up to the most dramatic finale possible. Helena unfastens her knife belt and lets it drop to the ground.

“Go ahead,” she says. Dinah shakes her head, but Helena just smiles softly. “It’s okay, Dinah. I promise.”

“No, I don’t want to hurt you.” Dinah feels sick.

“You won’t. It’s okay.” Helena is so comfortable with being the one to die. Dinah thinks of her on the rooftop the night before they entered the arena, and how she protected Terra so fiercely. How Helena was never uncomfortable with the idea of dying, just with the idea of becoming someone she didn’t want to be. “One of us should go home, Dinah. They have to have their victor.”

“No, they don’t,” Dinah says forcefully. She tosses her bow to the ground and steps closer to Helena. She holds out a hand full of nightlock. “Why should they?”

“Dinah…” Helena looks hesitant, and Dinah can’t blame her, but she won’t do it. She won’t kill Helena and then dare to call herself a victor. She can’t.

“Trust me,” she whispers. Helena nods, and Dinah takes her hand in hers. She puts a few of the berries in her hand so that they both have some.

“Together?” Helena asks.

“Together.” 

“One…” Helena starts. Dinah finds she’s surprisingly calm. It isn’t scary. 

“Two…” Helena reaches out and gently traces Dinah’s jawline with her thumb.

“Three.” They give each other a small nod, let each other know it’s okay, and raise the berries to their mouths.

 _“Stop!”_ Chas Chandler yells. _“Stop… Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the victors… of the 74th Annual Hunger Games.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading. i would put the simp eyes emoji here for yall to show how much i love those of you that are reading this but i cannot put emojis in here so. yknow.
> 
> if you like this story or this chapter or you just need to scream like bro i do NOT give a shit pls comment. the only thing stronger/more motivating than comments is hyperfixation and i have the second one so its up to yall to provide the other. it would be much appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is not another 10k chapter but thats bc its just a very transitional chapter. there wasnt a lot to put in this one but i couldnt just skip over it. i really hope yall still enjoy it though!

Everything is a blur after that. A hovercraft comes into the arena and drops a ladder for Helena and Dinah to climb up. Dinah tries her best to help Helena along because of the bleeding gash in her calf where the mutt grabbed her. The moment they’re inside of the hovercraft they’re being ripped apart from each other. They both scream for each other as they’re separated, but the peacekeepers doing it don’t seem bothered. Metal doors slide shut behind them as they drag Helena away. The moment they’re sealed, the peacekeepers holding Dinah let go of her. She stumbles towards the door and bangs her fists on it while she yells. A Capitol attendant offers her food and beverages and a change of clothes and countless other things that she knows she could benefit from, but she just wants Helena.

The next thing Dinah knows, the hovercraft is landing on the roof of the training center in the Capitol, and she’s being escorted off of it by peacekeepers. She doesn’t see Helena get off, and it makes her head and stomach both hurt. They lead her to the elevator and take it down to a floor Dinah has never been on. She feels a syringe in her back just before the doors open. Her world goes completely black.

When she wakes up, she’s back in her room on the seventh floor of the training center. It crosses her mind that she may have dreamed the entire thing, and now she’s going to be herded onto a hovercraft and to the arena to live out the nightmare. She knows better, though; it was far too real to be a figment of her imagination. She sits up and looks in the mirror across from the bed she’s in. Any visible cuts she had before are gone. She’s in a comfortable sweater and black pair of pants. She’s completely clean; her skin is no longer covered in dirt and mud and her blood and Terra’s blood and Damian’s blood and Helena’s blood. She freezes at the thought of Helena. Her first concern is that the Capitol had her killed, but then she considers the reaction that would come from the people of Panem if a tribute was murdered right after publicly being declared a victor. Wherever Helena is, she’s likely safe. That isn’t enough for Dinah, though. She gets up and heads out the door of her room and down the hallway, pausing at the start of the staircase. There in the living area, sitting on the couches and talking amongst themselves, is Renee, Zatanna, and Ivy. Dinah practically runs down the stairs, drawing their attention towards her. Ivy stands first, and Dinah flings herself into the stylist’s arms.

“Ivy, holy shit.” She whispers. Ivy chuckles and gives her a tight squeeze.

“You did so good.” Zatanna says, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Everyone I’ve spoken to is just raving about you.” Dinah nods to show her gratitude for the support. She doesn’t really care how the people of the Capitol feel about her performance, but she knows Zatanna is just trying to help. She pulls back from Ivy’s comforting embrace and looks to Renee. They’re silent for a moment before Dinah crosses the space between them and hugs her mentor, too. Renee rubs her back and breathes deeply, like she’s just as grateful for the moment as Dinah is, and then she pulls back.

“Sit down, sweetheart. We need to talk.” Dinah’s chest aches at the words, but she sits down along with the rest of her team.

“Where’s Helena?” She asks, fearing the worst. Renee shakes her head quickly.

“She’s on floor 2. She’s doing good, I promise.”

“Can I go see her?” 

“They want your reunion to be shown live during your victory ceremony.” Zatanna answers.

“You’re going to look lovely for it, by the way… and the interview,” Ivy tells her. “Harley and I have designed outfits for both of you that compliment each other well.” Renee leans forward and rests her arms on her knees.

“It’s important you compliment each other. It’s important you sell this.” Dinah wants to question the statement, but Renee answers it before she even opens her mouth. “You have to sell this romance because the Capitol is pissed off beyond belief.”

“Because I didn’t die?” Dinah asks.

“Because you showed them up, darling.” Ivy answers. The tension in the room appears from nowhere.

“Don’t worry! The people of the Capitol adore you and Helena both,” Zatanna says in an attempt to lighten things. “It’s just the officials and the gamemakers who are unhappy with you.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m not too happy with them either, so I’m sorry things didn’t go the way that wanted but-”

“Dinah!” Renee cuts her off. She takes a deep breath. “This is incredibly serious. It doesn’t just affect you either, okay?” Zatanna and Ivy both nod in agreement.

“It affects us, too,” Zatanna adds. Ivy scoffs under her breath.

“It also affects your family. Your friends. Helena. Her whole team… a lot of people are at stake here.”

“They don’t take these things lightly,” Renee tells her. Dinah feels sick again. It’s becoming the norm for her since leaving the arena, and she hates it.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Tell them how madly in love you were and are. If they ask, you have to tell them that you were just… so in love with Helena that you couldn’t help yourself. That not being with her was unthinkable. Unbearable, even. That you would rather be dead than not have her. Do you understand me, sweetheart?”

“Yeah, I understand.” Dinah looks at her team around her and wants nothing more than to protect them and her family and Helena. “Is Helena’s mentor telling her the same thing?”

“She’s not the one who needs to be acting,” Renee says. Dinah feels guilty, then. She knows she has a lot to feel guilty for. There’s enough blood on her hands to fill a lake. The thought of her acting while Helena is serious is a different kind of guilt. It wasn’t that she didn’t mean the things she said about and to Helena in the arena. That she didn’t mean every single gentle touch and kiss between them. She just feels torn all the time over how and what she’s feeling. It’s complicated enough to sort those out about Oliver. Adding Helena to the mix just increases the difficulty.

“Are you ready to go get prepared for your ceremony?” Ivy asks, offering an out from the conversation. Dinah leaps at it.

The ceremony is a required viewing all across Panem; it’s the first time the victor, or victors in this case, are seen by the public after leaving the arena. The victor’s escort, stylist, and mentor are always presented first, and then the victor follows them. President Sionis crowns them, the crowd erupts in applause and cheers, and then the victor joins John Constantine for their final interview. It’s simple to follow, really, and after being in an arena and fighting to the death with other kids it shouldn’t be so nerve-wracking, but Dinah still feels like she might just pass out as she waits to be announced. Ivy straightens out the dress she’s wearing. It’s a pale blue and much more innocent looking than the other outfits Ivy has put her in previously, but Dinah doesn’t have to think too hard to understand why that is.

“You ready?” The stylist asks her. She’s wearing a simple yet elegant black dress. It doesn’t seem like much at first, and it isn’t nearly as flashy as what Dinah saw Zatanna wearing, but Ivy does have a way of making it still stand out. Dinah sighs.

“I don’t know.” She looks around to make sure nobody is close enough to be listening in. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.” Ivy looks at her sympathetically.

“I know, but darling, all you can do right now is your best. Just get through tonight, and by tomorrow you’ll be on a train back home to District 7. There will be no cameras anymore and you can just… relax.” She holds up the gold mockingjay pin. “I managed to save this from the things you had with you when they brought you back from the arena.” She fastens it onto the one shoulder strap of the blue dress. Dinah runs her fingers over the cool metal.

“Thank you.” She whispers.

“Of course.” Panem’s anthem plays loudly outside, signalling that President Sionis is about to begin the ceremony. “Okay, I have to go to walk out with Harley when we’re announced. Take a few deep breaths, alright? When they call your name you’ll walk right out through that tunnel.” She points to a short concrete tunnel that leads out onto the stage. It has a dark red curtain, so Dinah can’t actually see the stage, but she knows from years of watching that there will be two ornate victor’s chairs in the center of the state, as well as a slightly less refined seat for John Constantine to conduct their interviews. “Good luck, Dinah Lance.” Ivy says just before placing a small kiss to her forehead and then walking off to join the rest of the two teams.

Dinah hears President Sionis begin with a short speech about the importance of the games and the honor bestowed on each victor, but she tunes most of it out. All she can think about is how nervous she is. The fear of messing something up enough to make the Capitol retaliate is lingering at the back of her mind, but the anxiety over seeing Helena again is at the forefront. She knows there isn’t anything to be afraid of. She can’t help the slightly queasy feeling, like someone about to ask their crush on a date for the first time, she has, though. She listens as they announce the escorts, Zatanna and a man named Sal Asaro. Helena had never mentioned her escort, so Dinah figured it was safe to assume he didn’t make much of an impact on her. The stylists, Harley and Ivy, were announced after them, and based on how loud the applause from the audience was, she figured the people of the Capitol had become pretty big fans of their work. Renee and Dick were announced last given that, as mentors, they were considered the most responsible for whether their tributes won or lost out of everyone on the team.

“Finally, what I know you all have been waiting so patiently for,” Dinah headed towards the curtain as President Sionis spoke. “I officially present to you, the victors of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Dinah Lance of District 7 and Helena Bertinelli of District 2.”

The roar of the crowd is close to deafening as Dinah steps out from the curtain and onto the stage. The lights are blinding for a moment, but then her vision focuses. Both teams are seated together on a platform just behind Sionis’ podium, he is stepping out from behind the podium to meet a young girl carrying the victor’s crowns on a velvet pillow, and the crowd is absolutely packed with people from the Capitol who have likely paid the price of an arm and both legs to have a seat at the event. Dinah is caught up in everything around her for only a moment, and then she sees her. Helena is at the other end of the stage in a suit the same color as her dress; the tie and cufflinks are a gold that perfectly matches her pin. The sight of Helena dressed up and no longer covered in dirt and blood and bruises reminds Dinah of just how attractive the girl is. She takes a step towards the center of the stage, and then another, but she can’t hold back after that and runs across the stage to meet Helena in the middle. She flings herself in Helena’s arms making her stagger back a little as she loses her balance. 

“I’m here,” Helena whispers, quiet enough that only Dinah can hear it. Dinah pulls back a little, remembering Renee’s words as she does, and pulls Helena’s lips to hers. The crowd goes absolutely wild as Helena melts into the kiss. Dinah can’t help but wonder if she knows how much danger they’re in. If Dick or Harley or Sal have even attempted to tell her. Helena is the one to pull back after a moment. 

President Sionis steps down from the platform behind the victor’s chairs and walks to stand in front of them both. The young girl follows just behind them. Roman Sionis is somehow less intimidating up close but more unnerving. He’s wearing a solid black suit with a single white rose in the pocket and black leather gloves. He smiles at both of them, but Dinah can see right through it, can see how angry he is. He reaches down and takes the first crowd, elegant and solid gold, off of it’s cushion, and he places it atop Helena’s head. She holds his gaze in a way that makes Dinah’s heart race, like she’s making sure he knows that she isn’t afraid of him. He tilts his chin up with a small hum and turns away from her. He grabs the second crown and turns to Dinah. The look he gives her is completely different. His eyes are cold and unforgiving. Dinah realizes in that moment that it doesn’t matter that both of them were going to eat the nightlock. She’s the one who had the idea. She’s the one who caused the problems for him. She’s his enemy. He looks at her pin and tilts his head to the side.

“Lovely pin, Miss Lance.”

“Thank you. It’s from my district.” Sionis smiles and leans in a bit closer to her. Dinah barely sees it from the corner of her eye, but Helena’s hand twitches at her side, almost like she wants to physically remove the President of Panem from Dinah’s space. 

“I’m sure they are very proud of you.” Roman says. He takes a step back, and the way his face shifts from a menacing smile to a friendly and welcoming look is scarier than anything else he has done or said. 

“Congratulations to both of you,” he turns and walks back to his own presidential seat on the stage between the gamemakers and the teams of both tributes. The audience gives a standing ovation to them, and when Helena takes Dinah’s hand in hers and raises them up the crowd gets the loudest it has been all night. John Constantine makes his way out onto the stage as the crowd continues cheering. He let’s them get it out of their system while gesturing for Dinah and Helena to sit down. Dinah realizes as they do that they don’t have two individual victor’s chairs, but rather one large enough for the two of them to share. John gets the audience to quiet down, and then he walks them through how the interview will go, even though everyone there is well aware of how this event always plays out.

The victor’s interview is always kicked off with a highlight reel of the games, and it makes Dinah uncomfortable. She doesn’t want to watch the deaths of the other 22 tributes; it isn’t like she has a choice, though. Dinah looks at Helena again and takes in their coordinated outfits. It’s a fairly simple look for both of them, but it shows unity and something light and innocent. Ivy and Harley clearly made a calculated and smart decision. Helena hasn’t let go of her hand, so Dinah scoots closer to lean against her and places their joined hands in the career’s lap as the lights dim. The highlight reel is broadcast on enough screens so that every audience member and person on the stage can see it.

The first bit of the reel features both of their reapings, chariot rides, and training scores. It doesn’t last long, and then they’re thrown into the footage of the games. They extensively cover the bloodbath, making sure to capture every death and dramatic moment. Dinah watches as Kory turns on Helena and attempts to kill her, but Helena fights her off quickly and easily and disappears into the woods with her supplies. She found Terra early it seems. The young girl seems anxious about trusting Helena at first, but then they become quite the little team. Dinah feels her heart swell, but at the same time, somehow, it’s breaking. Dinah gets to see, for the first time, Barry’s death. How he tried to hold off Damian so she could escape after dropping the tracker jacker nest. Helena comes to his rescue, but she’s too late and ends up narrowly avoiding her own death in the attempt. They show every tribute’s death in full. The ones the two of them had a hand in hurt beyond belief for obvious reasons, but Terra’s is the one that has Dinah watching Helena closely, worriedly, out of the corner of her eyes. They of course show her being hit with the spear and Dinah taking down Roy with ease. They also show her singing, but they don’t ever show the flowers. The audience sits and watches in awe of everything even though they already know what happens. There’s a chorus of “aw” after each tender moment between her and Helena. It’s weird, honestly. Damian’s death sparks cheers across the crowd, but then they go silent as Dinah pulls out the nightlock. Watching the moment back is worse than living it. Dinah understands why the Capitol is pissed; her message was clearer than a middle finger. Panem’s anthem plays as the screen fades to black. The previously dimmed lights brighten, and the crowd goes wild again for Dinah and Helena.

“I think,” John says as the audience calms. “I can speak for everyone here when I tell you both that your love has inspired so much emotion in all of us. Dinah, what was it like when you woke up the morning after the feast to find Helena’s wounds almost entirely healed? How did you feel?”

“I felt… like the happiest person on earth. To know that we could go home was everything.” Dinah thinks about Renee’s words in the apartment again and looks right at Helena with the most genuine smile she can manage. “Everything changed right then.”

“Why do you think that was?” John asks.

“Because for the first time, I knew that I had a chance at keeping her.”

“What are you gonna do now that you have me?” Helena asks. Dinah admires her ability to carry the conversation forward rather than just make the interview feel like a question and answer session. She laughs and squeezes her hand a little.

“I’m going to put you somewhere that you can’t get hurt.” The audience laughs, and Dinah’s smile widens. She’s mostly faking it for the cameras, but she is a little proud her joke landed well. John and Helena still have a good rapport from the initial interviews before the games, and it helps Dinah to feel far more comfortable. She’s able to get away with making a small comment here and there, answering an easy question or two, while Helena leads the conversation. 

“Dinah, I have to ask,” John says after they’ve finished discussing the career alliance, their alliance with Terra, Jaime and Rachel and the feast, and Barry, Roy, and Terra’s deaths. “What was going on in your mind when you pulled those berries out?” Dinah hesitates for a moment. She doesn’t want to say anything that could hurt her mom and Cass or Oliver or Helena or anyone on their teams.

“I just… I couldn’t bear the thought of living without her.” 

“Helena, anything to add to that?” 

“No, I feel the exact same way. She made the games worth competing in again. She saved me.”

“We saved each other.” Dinah tells her. She makes sure to connect their eyes and squeeze her hand as she does. It’s important to her that Helena knows Dinah means that. John and the audience both make long “aw” sounds at them. John sees that as a good stopping point for the interview.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen,” he says, turning to face the crowd. “May I present to you the star-crossed lovers from Districts 2 and 7, this year’s victors of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Dinah Lance and Helena Bertinelli!” They bow and cheer and wave until Dinah feels like her arm is going to fall off, and then they are guided off the stage by crew members. President Sionis, John, and Lex Luthor and the other gamemakers head through the back of the stage while Helena, Dinah, and their teams go through the curtain Dinah entered from.

“You both did so wonderful!” Zatanna exclaims, practically bouncing to the front of the group. “Now, I received special permission for Helena and her team to join us in our apartment on the 7th floor for tonight! Isn’t that wonderful?” Dinah feels a headache coming on as Helena gives her a cautious look. Ivy saves either of them from having to answer.

“Lovely idea, Z. It’ll be nice to have an evening altogether.” She smirks a little in Harley’s direction, and Dinah makes a mental note to ask her about it later.

“Thank you, Ivy! That was just my thought.” She turns her attention fully to Dinah and Helena. “Tomorrow we will have lunch together as a team, and then the two of you as well as Dick and Renee will board the train to head back home to your districts where you will have beautiful new homes in your respective Victor’s Villages and anything you will ever need. You’ll have a few weeks to settle into your new lives as victor’s, and then it will be time for the victory tour.”

“I forgot about the victory tour.” Dinah groans. She doesn’t ever want to leave her home again once she gets back. She just wants to spend time with Cass and her mom and go hunting with Oliver. She wants things to be normal again.

“Yes, well, it is quite important. All twelve districts as well as a party hosted in the Presidential Mansion here in the Capitol to close it out.” Zatanna reminds her. Dinah doesn’t even have a chance to respond before the woman has turned around, glittery black dress flowing behind her, and is walking off for the elevator. Ivy and Harley follow after her without missing a beat. Sal, a tall and gruff looking man who seems more like a bodyguard than a tribute escort, steps around to face Helena.

“It has been an honor working with you, Helena, and I am so proud of you for your victory. I need to go home to be with my family, though, so this is goodbye for us for now.” Helena nods and reaches out to shake his hand.

“Thank you for all your help, Sal.” She tells him. He nods, and then he walks away from them. 

“Come on kiddos,” Renee says, walking past them to follow Zatanna and the two stylists. Dick follows just a step behind her. “You both deserve a good night of rest before we head home, and I deserve a bottle of that fancy pink stuff Harley made me try the other night.” Dinah and Helena head for the elevator with them, an awkward silence settling between them. The group gets into the elevator altogether; Harley and Ivy are talking fashion trends with Zatanna while Dick and Renee make casual conversation about how nice it will be to get back home. All of the adults are glancing at the pair of victors in concern from time to time, though. Everyone can sense something is off between them suddenly, but nobody wants to be the one to say something about it. When the elevator doors slide open to the 7th floor apartment everyone seems to rush to give the two of them space. Harley and Ivy slip away to Ivy’s room with a quick goodnight while Zatanna and their mentors head up the stairs to where the liquor cabinet is. 

“I uh… where should I sleep?” Helena mumbles. Dinah gives her a confused look and she clears her throat. “I just mean like, what rooms aren’t already taken? You know, so I can… sleep…”

“Oh. Well, I guess you could stay in Barry’s room upstairs, or… what was Barry’s room.” Dinah feels completely out of her element. Helena has gone from suave and charming to nervous and uncomfortable seemingly out of nowhere. “You could also stay in my room with me if you wanted.”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Dinah steps back in surprise. Helena has never made her uncomfortable before, so why is she suddenly worried she’s going to?

“Helena, you won’t make me uncomfortable. I’m offering.” She still seems hesitant, so Dinah reaches out tentatively and grabs her hand. “Come on,” she whispers, guiding the career up the stairs behind her.

Her room is clean as usual. Not that Dinah had the time to make a mess of the place like she would back home, but the avoxes have removed the bowl she left behind that morning from the quick breakfast she had in the privacy of her room and made the bed. They left the screen on. She had turned it on in the middle of the night and put it on the forest setting when she couldn’t sleep. Helena let’s go of her hand and walks over to stand in front of it, eyes fixed on the trees and bushes shown.

“I’m gonna go change into something more comfortable, okay?” Dinah whispers. Helena gives a nod that’s barely noticeable and doesn’t budge other than that. Dinah wants to say more, wants to ask if she’s okay, what’s bothering her, but she can’t get the words out. Instead, she just heads into the walk-in closet and shuts the door. The lights turn on automatically when she enters, and she goes about picking an outfit. She settles on a pair of comfortable and warm pants and a simple shirt. It’s the most casual thing she’s worn since arriving in the Capitol. She’s about to step out of the room when she catches sight of herself in the full length mirror on the wall.

Dinah almost gasps at her own reflection. She looks like herself. She doesn’t look like “The Girl on Fire” or a victor of The Hunger Games or anything else she’s been made into. She’s just Dinah Lance. A girl from District 7. A girl who hunts in the woods and trades at the market. She stands there staring at herself, trying to figure out who she is and who she isn’t. She doesn’t know what life will be like when she goes back home. There’s no way of knowing if things will return to normal. She just wants to hug Cass and her mom and play cards in front of the fireplace with them. She wants to walk through the woods with Oliver, to see his smile and hear his laugh. Just the thought of Oliver is enough to make Dinah’s stomach churn with guilt and confusion. It’s not like they’ve ever discussed being in a relationship at some point, but it does feel like there was something unspoken between them. She knows that Oliver has seen ever touch and kiss between her and Helena. Yet, Helena knows next to nothing about Oliver. Somehow, Dinah feels like she’s deceived both of them. Neither of them knows how she really feels, but in all fairness, she isn’t quite sure either. She knows she has to figure it out eventually, but she doesn’t think she can handle the stress of it just yet. She takes a deep breath, gathers her emotions, and steps back into the bedroom. Helena is still looking at the forest on the screen, but she’s moved to sit at the edge of the bed. She looks up at Dinah.

“Are you okay?” She asks. Dinah can’t help but laugh a little bit.

“Am I okay? I’ve been wondering if you’re okay.” Helena shrugs and turns her attention back to the greens and browns of the woods.

“You just seem… different. Like something is wrong.” Dinah realizes that Helena has no idea what they’ve done. She goes to sit next to her.

“Helena… The Capitol really didn’t appreciate what we did with the nightlock. It looked like rebellion to them.” Helena’s brow furrows and Dinah sighs. “Renee has been pushing me to avoid making it worse.”

“Why didn’t Dick ever say anything to me about this?” She sounds confused.

“I think they knew you would get it right.” Helena turns on her then, and Dinah can see the anger and hurt in her eyes.

“Get it right? So it was just strategy?” She stands up, desperate to put some separation between herself and Dinah. “The way you acted… The things you said… It was all just for the games wasn’t it?”

“No,” Dinah tries to argue. “No, I wouldn’t… Not all of it.” The anger dissipates from Helena instantly, but the way hurt fills the space left by it actually seems worse to Dinah.

“But some of it was. Enough of it.”

“Helena, I’m still trying to figure things out. I-”

“Stop.” Helena closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose in an attempt to steady herself. “It’s okay.” She opens her eyes, and Dinah has to lie to herself that the career isn’t on the brink of crying. “You had to save yourself. You did what you had to. I understand.”

“No, Helena-”

“I’m gonna sleep in another room tonight, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.” Dinah wants to say something to stop her from walking through the door, but no words come out, and just like that, she’s gone.

Dinah struggles to sleep through the night. She sleeps for an hour and then she’s awake for another and then she sleeps for two hours and she’s awake for one more. It’s no surprise she doesn’t feel anywhere near well-rested come morning. She skips out on breakfast and doesn’t even leave her room until Zatanna is summoning her down for lunch. Renee and Harley are in a fierce debate about the different spirits available and which are the best and which are the worst. Ivy is just watching in amusement while playing with Harley’s hair. Dick and Helena are having a quiet conversation to themselves, seemingly ignoring the chaos beside them. Dinah sits down across from Helena awkwardly. She prepares herself for the cold shoulder, but it doesn’t come. Helena stays friendly, even though Dinah can see the pain in her eyes and notices how much quieter she is than normal. Dinah thinks she may actually have preferred the cold shoulder. Lunch goes well. Everyone gets along, the food is good, and nobody talks about the games or Dinah and Helena’s romance. 

Almost immediately after lunch they head for the train station. They’re escorted by peacekeepers in large black cars like what delivered them to the training center when they first arrived at the Capitol. They barely have time to say goodbye to Ivy, Harley, and Zatanna before the peacekeepers are nudging them towards the train. A large crowd is gathered to see the victors off. Helena and Dinah hold hands and fake smiles and wave for the people and the cameras, but the moment the doors slide shut Helena drops her hand and walks away.

“You gonna follow her?” Renee asks. Dinah gives her a sad and discouraged look, glancing at where Helena is standing and staring out a window, just out of earshot. The train begins moving forward.

“I don’t think she wants to talk to me.”

“I don’t know about that,” Dick offers. “I think maybe she just doesn’t know how to right now. Extend the olive branch.” Renee nods in agreement and squeezes Dinah’s shoulder supportively. Dinah decides to trust Dick. He’s known Helena longer, and he helped Dinah to save her. She’s pretty sure he wouldn’t steer her wrong on purpose, and Renee definitely wouldn’t. Dinah takes a deep breath as she turns and goes to approach Helena. The trees are practically flying by outside the window as they head for District 2. It’s closer to the Capitol, so Helena and Dick will be dropped off first, and then it will just be Dinah and Renee until they reach home.

“It’ll be nice to be away from the Capitol finally.” Dinah tries. Helena barely looks at her.

“Yeah… So, what happens when we go home?”

“I don’t know.” Dinah doesn’t move; she just continues staring out the window with the taller girl. “I guess we try to forget.” She feels Helena sigh a little more than hears it, and she turns her head to meet her eyes. Dinah sees all the pain and longing in them. She knows she put it there, but somehow Helena isn’t angry with her. Not even a little bit. Dinah doesn’t know what she feels for Helena or for Oliver, or what it means for any of them, but she does know that she doesn’t want Helena to slip away from her. Helena looks like she isn’t going to say anything for a moment, but then she does.

“I don’t want to forget.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! as always comments are super appreciated. i love hearing from yall each chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catching fire is the best book/movie in the hunger games series so im v excited for the next several chapters. lots of excitement and action and whatnot coming up. 
> 
> i really hope yall enjoy this chapter. and thank you so much for reading!

Sundays are Dinah’s favorite day of the week. Oliver turned nineteen a few weeks ago. Thankfully, he’s no longer eligible for the reapings, but he does have to work six days a week chopping down trees and sawing them into perfect wood boards to be shipped off to the Capitol. He’s made to work twelve hours a day, so reasonably, he uses his day off wisely and sleeps in on Sundays. When he does wake up, though, he makes his way out to the forest to meet Dinah. They hunt and set snares together; they’ve discussed trying their hands at fishing when the spring rolls back around and it isn’t so cold out. Dinah doesn’t need the meat. Part of the reward for winning the games is that a victor and their immediate family are given more money than they will ever need. For all the bad that came from the event, knowing her mother and Cass will never go hungry is something Dinah is still grateful for. She could easily use the money to make sure Oliver and his mother and sisters are fed just as well, but he always refuses. Dinah assumes it’s a pride thing, but she doesn’t ever press the issue. Instead, she focuses her energy on hunting and checking the snares throughout the week while Oliver is working. She takes any game by his home and drops it off with his mother. It isn’t that she’s keeping it from him; he knows she does it. She just doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

Dinah stares off over the lake. The sun is just beginning to rise even though she’s been out for two hours now. Every breath she takes is visible in the air, and snow sticks to the tree limbs and rocks and ground around her. Winter is usually her favorite season, but this year it’s a sign of something she’s been dreading. The victory tour following the Hunger Games takes place each winter; the games themselves happen in the summer. They’re perfectly placed by the Capitol to make sure the pain and horror of the games is always fresh. She and Helena will be paraded around to each district to make speeches to people forced to celebrate them and the games. They’ll have to face the families of the tributes who didn’t make it out. Helena could possibly be the most painful part of the tour, though. Dinah hasn’t seen her since she and Dick stepped off the train to a screaming crowd in District 2. Helena hasn’t written to her, either, but she has written to Renee. Dinah has seen the letters from time to time on the kitchen counter or the coffee table in Renee’s home. She doesn’t understand why Helena chooses to write to her mentor, but she hates that she’s envious every time she sees the girl’s scribbled writing on an envelope. A twig snaps behind her, jerking her from her thoughts, and Dinah spins around to face the potential threat while drawing her bow.

“Woah, hey,” Oliver raises a hand as he approaches. “Easy there, Canary. It’s just me.”

“Sorry,” she mumbles, lowering the bow. Oliver doesn’t seem bothered by the action. It isn’t the first time something like it has happened; the games have left Dinah on edge and always alert and ready to fight. He’s never pushed her to talk about it or gotten angry with her. He smiles, eyes squinting as he faces the sunlight.

“I saw some turkeys while I was on the way out here. They crossed right in front of me like I wasn’t even there.”

“Sounds rude of them.” Oliver laughs.

“Damn right it is. That’s what I get, though. Start chopping trees down six days a week and the wildlife loses respect for you. Forgets who’s in charge.” They just look at each other for a moment. He clearly looks like he wants to ask about the tour, but it’s early in the day. He usually saves the tough questions for after they’ve been out for awhile. “Well, I’m up early, so we have plenty of time to go get some birds, yeah?” His smile is easy and reassuring, and it brings Dinah’s own smile out.

She follows him through the woods. It isn’t a long trek to where the turkeys frequently gather. There’s a creek just off their usual path that’s almost entirely frozen over aside from a few patches near the river it flows from. In any other season, they would have to track them through the woods, but winter limits food and water sources. It makes game predictable. It’s easier to hunt, but it’s also more boring. Oliver sticks a hand out behind himself to gesture to Dinah that he can see the turkeys. They crouch down as they get closer and move to hide behind a thick tree just on the opposite side of the creek from the birds. The tree has a fork dipping down the middle of it that’s perfect for Dinah to aim through. She draws an arrow back and aims for the largest one when Oliver points it out to her. She fires, confident it will hit its mark, and then she falls back, scrambling away as she watches Roy drop to his knees with an arrow in his neck. She gasps for air, and maybe she screams, she isn’t quite sure. She feels like her chest is starting to constrict when Oliver grabs her and holds her still.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” He forces her to meet his eyes. “You’re with me. You’re safe.” The worst of the panic subsides, but Dinah still feels like a million cameras are on her and Damian is waiting around the corner for her. She knows she needs to get out of the woods, but the idea of telling Oliver she can’t help him hunt, can’t help him feed his family today, is worse than the panic.

“I’m sorry,” she says once she has enough air coming into her lungs to do so. Oliver shakes his head.

“No, don’t apologize. It’s okay. Let’s call it a day and head back, alright?” Dinah wants to protest, but Oliver isn’t going to let her. “I could use some hot cocoa. The good shit that Sal’s wife makes? Plus, it’s your turn to buy. Gotta get my fix before you leave.” His smile is carefree and playful, and it’s just what Dinah needs to set her at ease again. She nods in agreement and takes his hand to let him help lift her to her feet when he offers it.

He leads the way up the hill and through the barren trees. He makes a quick stop to get a rabbit from one of his snares along the way and to reset it. They’re silent as they head out of the forest, but it isn’t uncomfortable. He takes her bow and quiver from her to hide them in their usual oak tree. When he comes back, he has the look on his face that says he’s going to ask something serious. They don’t stop walking, still heading back towards the district, but Dinah steels herself for all of the possible questions she doesn’t want or know how to answer.

“How are you feeling? About the tour?” He finally asks.

“Uhh. I don’t know, honestly.” Dinah says. “I’m not looking forward to it. I know that much.” He nods understandingly.

“What about Helena? You ready to see her again?” There’s no malice in his voice. He’s been nothing but kind and understanding about what all happened in the games, but Dinah knows it was painful for him to watch. She knows he wasn’t okay with seeing her and Helena kissing and cuddling and living out some dramatic love story. She knows he wishes it could have been him.

“Ollie… I’ve told you it was an act.” 

“Dinah,” he says, stopping at the chainlink but not lifting it up for them to go through yet. “You and I both know you are not a good liar.” Dinah tries to come up with something to say, but words fail her. He isn’t wrong. She’s never been able to lie to him; he knows her too well. She sighs and looks down for a moment before meeting his eyes again.

“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her since… I want to see her. I want to talk to her. I just… hope she wants to see and talk to me, too.” Oliver chuckles and lifts the fence up for her to slide through and follows behind her.

“I don’t know how anyone could not want to see or talk to you.” Dinah rolls her eyes. There are plenty of people she can think of that wouldn’t want anything to do with her, but she doesn’t need or want to get into it. They head through the alley and out into the road. Not many people are out and about. Anyone who works on Sundays is already out in the woods or at the mill, and it’s too cold for most people to want to be out and doing things. They make their way to the market. It’s a group of a couple dozen stands set up in an old beaten down warehouse. Many illegal dealings go on around it, but nothing is notable enough that the district’s peacekeepers care. In fact, several of them are involved in the dealings. Dinah has sold game to the supposed law enforcement more times than she can count even though hunting is an offense punishable by death throughout the entire country. She and Oliver make their way over to Greasy Sal’s stand. The man grins as they sit down in a pair of stools at the wooden counter.

“My favorite customers! What can I do for you two today?” Dinah digs some coins from her pocket, more than enough to cover two drinks, and sets them on the counter.

“Two hot cocoas?” His smile is grateful as he takes the money and goes to fix the order. Dinah has made a habit of overpaying Sal. She found out from Oliver when she got back home that Sal had taken up a collection from the other people at the market, including some peacekeepers, to sponsor her. She’ll never have any way of knowing what their money bought her, but whatever it was it made a difference in her and Helena making it out alive. It’s a debt she can’t repay, but she still tries. He sets down two ceramic mugs with the steaming drink in front of them.

“When are they whisking you off on that train?” Sal asks.

“Tomorrow. Helena is supposed to arrive in the morning, and then we’ll do some kind of interview or something. We’ll leave after that. Renee said it’ll probably be around noon when we leave.” 

“How’s she doing?” 

“Renee or Helena?” Oliver asks for Dinah.

“Renee. My wife did buy some fancy gossip magazines the other day that had an article about your girl, though.” He says. Dinah almost spits hot cocoa all over the place, but she chokes it down while Oliver tries not to laugh.

“Renee is good. Still drinking her way through most days.” Dinah sets her mug down. “What did the magazine say about Helena?” Sal shrugs.

“Hell if I remember. Something about her family and disappointment and whatnot. I didn’t read it.” He waves his hand dismissively. “If it’s anything important I’m sure you’ll hear about it from her yourself.” Dinah nods, but she doesn’t say anything. She knows things between Helena and her parents hadn’t been good since her younger brother’s death, but she hoped that winning the games would have provided some relief from the pressures she seemed to be dealing with. Oliver seems to notice how Dinah is zoning out a little, so he changes the subject to talk about how working out at the lumber yard and saw mill has been. They carry on for a while, conversing and laughing until Dinah and Oliver have both finished their hot cocoa. They bid Sal farewell and head home, but not before Dinah makes stops at several stalls in the market. She buys cheese from one, yarn at the one beside it, herbs from another, bread at the next, and even stops at the one right at the exit to buy two bottles of a pale brown liquor for Renee. She makes an effort to spread out her purchases whenever she’s in the market so her newfound wealth can help as many people as possible.

Oliver’s house is just a few blocks down the road from the Victor’s Village. They walk together in silence, occasionally waving at or greeting people they know as they pass. The snow is falling lightly, and Dinah pulls up her hood over her head. Oliver prefers to go through the back door of his house, so the two of them head around the side and to the back.

“I figure you won’t be coming to the train station tomorrow since you’re working?” Dinah asks for confirmation. Oliver stops at the steps and turns to face her. He seems shorter to her since she got home, but she knows that has more to do with how differently she sees people than how tall he actually is. 

“Yeah, my break probably won’t coincide with when you leave. Plus, I’m pretty sure you have enough people saying goodbye without me there.” He says. Dinah looks around a little. There’s nobody in sight; they’re all alone.

“Not a lot of people I actually care about.”

“Yeah,” Oliver whispers. He knows the list of people Dinah wants to be around is short; he’s the same way. It isn’t easy to gain either of their trust. It’s part of why watching the games was so hard on him. What took him years to build with Dinah, Helena managed to get in less than a month.

“I won’t be gone long. Just a few weeks,” Dinah says. She wants to reassure him, but she isn’t sure if anything she could say can do that. “I’ll be back before the snow is melted.”

“Lot can happen in just a few weeks,” he mumbles. Dinah tilts her head at him, a little in frustration and a little in sympathy.

“Oliver…”

“I’m going to ask for something,” he says suddenly. “You can say no, and I won’t be mad, but I have to ask.” Dinah’s eyes narrow in confusion.

“What is it?”

“Can I kiss you?” Dinah is positive her heart doesn’t beat for at least ten seconds after he asks. She doesn’t even know how to respond at first. They’ve never kissed before; she’s only ever kissed Helena. She’s tempted to tell him no. She’s going to, but then something occurs to her. She’s spent years watching his lips. How he laughs and smiles and frowns… and she’s never felt them. She wants to, though.

“Yes,” she breathes out, and he leans in. She’s surprised by how soft his lips are; they’re not as soft as Helena’s, but they’re close. Everything about kissing him is warm and safe. Somehow, though, it’s also the most dangerous feeling because she knows how wrong things could go if someone were to see them. He pulls back a moment later, hands lingering on either side of her face.

“Thank you… I wanted to do that,” he whispers, “at least once.” Before Dinah can respond, he moves up the set of steps and into his home, the screen door shutting loudly behind him. She thinks about knocking, calling him back, saying something, anything, but she can’t. She just sticks her hands in her pockets and heads to her own home.

The Victor’s Village looks nothing like the rest of the homes in District 7. Even the wealthier people in the district don’t have homes that compare in size. There’s twelve homes; ten are empty, one is Renee’s, and one is Dinah and her family’s. The small community has a black iron fence around it, and the grass is as green in it as it is out in the woods. There are trees and bushes and flowers and sidewalks, all carefully maintained by a group of groundskeepers employed and paid by the Capitol. There’s a fountain in the center where her mother frequently reads. She pulls down her hood and goes to take off her leather jacket as she enters her home.

“How was your walk?” Laurel asks eagerly. Dinah turns to look at her in confusion as she hangs her jacket on the coat rack and kicks off her snow covered boots. Her mom knows she was out hunting with Oliver.

“My walk? I-”

“We have visitors.” Cass states. Cass is usually the one who jokes and makes everything seem so light and fun, but the tone in her voice has Dinah beyond concerned. A man with carefully sculpted features steps out of the office and into the hallway.

“Right this way please.” He gestures into the room, and Dinah feels like something terrible is going on. He’s clearly from the Capitol which opens up a world of possibility for why he is in her house. She heads for the room, reaching out to squeeze Cass’ shoulder reassuringly as she does. Her first, and worst, thought is that something bad happened to Helena. She realizes as she steps in, though, that the room smells faintly of roses, and her stomach sinks as President Sionis spins around in the tall leather office chair to face her. He’s wearing a black coat that looks like it’s made of extremely expensive fur. He twirls a pen around in one gloved hand and gestures for her to sit in the chair across from him with the other

“Miss Lance,” he says, kicking his feet up onto the desk. “What a lovely home you have.” Dinah goes to sit in the chair across from him. 

“President Sionis. It’s an honor to have you.” She’s clearly lying. His appearance at her home has scared both her mother and Cass. His attitude makes her feel like an intruder in her own home. Not to mention, if he has gone to the effort of leaving the Capitol to come speak with her, Dinah knows his arrival means she and the people she loves are still in danger.

“Now, Miss Lance, I do believe it would be far simpler and much less time consuming if we agree not to lie to each other?” He sets the pen down on the table and raises an eyebrow. “Don’t you agree?”

“I would think so.”

“I have a problem, you see. I didn’t have this problem before, though. No, I got this problem the moment you held out those berries in that arena.” He pulls his feet down and leans in and smiles in a way that shows all his teeth; Dinah is a little surprised none of them are sharp and animalistic. The smile disappears just as quickly as it arrived. “If Lex Luthor, the head gamemaker, had any common sense, he would have blown you and Miss Bertinelli sky high. Into a million little pieces. Blood and guts everywhere. All the gore. It would have been disgusting, but it would have gotten the point across.” Dinah keeps her features as stoic as possible. She thinks of how Helena stared Sionis down when they were crowned. She needs that level of courage in this moment. “But I believe he was a little too soft for his career. So here you are. In one piece instead of millions. I’m sure you can take a good guess where he is, hm?”

“Probably.” It’s safe to assume Lex Luthor is dead. Maybe not blown to pieces as Sionis has so eloquently described, but executed in a way that makes a statement at least to the other gamemakers. Dinah tries to ignore the faint smell of blood. She could be imagining it after all of the blood she was surrounded by in the arena, but something tells her she isn’t. She attempts to focus on the strong smell of roses, instead. 

“I didn’t have much of a choice after that but to just… let things play out. See what happens, you know?” Sionis asks casually. “And don’t get me wrong, you were good. It seems everyone in the Capitol is really convinced by your love-crazed act. But, and here lies the heart of my problem, Miss Lance, the people in the districts don’t seem to have fallen as hard for it.” Dinah takes a deep breath, and her face must show at least some confusion, because Sionis tilts his head almost in amusement at it. “You obviously don’t know this, but many people viewed your little stunt as an act of… defiance. Not of love. And think about it, really Miss Lance, if a little girl from good ol’ District 7 can defy the Capitol. Can defy me. And get away with it? Well, why can’t everyone? Why not just, I don’t know, start an uprising? Bring down the whole system?” He raises his voice, but Dinah doesn’t flinch.

“Your system sounds pretty fragile if a little girl and some berries can bring it down.” Roman smiles at her.

“Oh, it is. Super breakable system. Just not in the way you’re probably imagining it.”

“Then how should I imagine it?” Dinah can feel the hint of defiance in her own voice, and Sionis’ snakelike eyes narrow at it.

“How about you imagine this: thousands of people, your people, people you love, dead. District 7 reduced to ashes and buried under the dirt like it never existed, just like District 13 was, and just like you and Helena should have been.” He snaps. Dinah thinks she’s going to be sick, but he isn’t done. “You fought very hard in those games, Miss Lance, but at the end of the day they were just games. Do you want me to show you a real war?”

“No.” Dinah means it. She doesn’t want that at all. She doesn’t want any of it. She needs him to know how much she means it. “I really don’t.”

“Good,” Sionis seems to believe her, and more so, he seems pleased with the answer. “Now, tell me, how is the love of your life?”

“She’s good.” Dinah says, even though she has no clue. Sionis slams his hand on the desk.

“Don’t lie to me!” He yells. He takes a breath. “You promised,” he says in a softer voice. He reaches up to smooth out his hair, and leans back in the chair with a smile as if there was no outburst. “Anyway, I know you haven’t had any contact with her since she stepped off that train. So, Miss Lance, allow me to ask, at what point did she realize your indifference towards her?”

“I’m not indifferent.” Dinah says, her voice far meaker than she wants it to be.

“Maybe you aren’t,” he concedes. “But you’re not as enamored with her as you want the country to believe. Not as enamored with her as she is with you.”

“Why not just kill me?” Dinah asks, not wanting to think about whatever is between she and Helena. “You could do it right now.”

“I could… But I don’t want to.” Sionis adjusts the edges of his gloves like he’s become uninterested in the conversation. In Dinah. “I want us to be friends, and if not friends, then allies.”

“What do you want me to do?” Dinah just wants to protect her loved ones. She’ll do anything. President Sionis must know that by now. He smiles again.

“When you and Helena go on your victory tour tomorrow, you need to smile. Be grateful. Be in love. And not just any love. Be in the ‘I’m prepared to end it all’ kind of love. Be… convincing.” 

“I’ll convince them. I’ll convince everyone in the districts that I was in love.” Sionis stands up at Dinah’s words and hums to himself. He looks out the window behind him and turns back to her.

“Convince _me_ you _are_ in love.” He heads for the office door to exit. Dinah doesn’t watch him; she just stares straight ahead. He pauses.

“Oh, and by the way Miss Lance, it would serve you both well to not be kissing Oliver Queen in your spare time anymore.” The door clicks shut behind him. Dinah’s heart is beating so fast she can’t even feel it anymore. Or maybe it isn’t beating anymore at all. Maybe she’s having a heart attack. District uprisings, threats to her family and Oliver… The lives of everyone she loves and cares for are suddenly riding on her ability to appear as in love with Helena as possible during this victory tour. She doesn’t know if she has what it takes to pull such a thing off. Her whole world feels like it could crumble in a fraction of a second, but she forces herself out of the chair and towards the door. It takes several deep breaths to steel herself, but once she does, she exits the office and heads to the kitchen. Her mother is chopping up vegetables at the counter while Cass works on homework at the table.

“Is everything okay?” Cass asks. She’s a tough kid, but Dinah hears the hint of fear in her voice. Dinah ruffles her hair and smiles easily.

“Yeah, kid.” She glances up at her mother who is watching with her eyes narrowed. “President Sionis always visits the victors before the tour just to wish them good luck. We just don’t ever see or hear about it.”

“Oh,” Cass grins, “well, cool! He looks like an even bigger asshole in person.” 

“Cassandra!” Laurel scolds.

“What? He does!” Dinah laughs as she walks over to the opposite side of the counter from her mom. Laurel rolls her eyes.

“Not everything that’s true needs to be said.” She gives Dinah a knowing look, and Dinah is sure that she’s going to be called out for lying, but her mom says nothing. Dinah grabs the two bottles of liquor she bought earlier.

“I’m gonna take these over to Renee, alright? I shouldn’t be gone long.” Laurel nods and waves her off, so Dinah shoves her boots on and heads back out into the snow. Part of her wants to tell Renee exactly what’s going on and how Sionis visited her, but the other part of her says not to endanger anyone else. She doesn’t even bother knocking on the door, just opens it and walks right in. 

“Renee?” She calls out. The shorter woman walks around the corner with a butcher knife in her hand.

“Fucking christ, Dinah. Don’t you know how to knock?” Dinah holds up the two bottles.

“I figured you would let it slide since I’m bringing you these.” Renee snatches one from her hand and walks to the kitchen with it. Dinah follows behind her with the other. An envelope on the table with Helena’s handwriting on it catches her attention, though, and she stops while Renee grabs a glass and fills it up at the island. Dinah hesitates, but then she holds it up.

“Helena writes you.” Renee looks at her like she’s an idiot as she takes a drink.

“Nice observation skills, sweetheart.” Dinah rolls her eyes as she moves to sit in a bar stool across the island. 

“I mean, why does she write to you? She’s never written me a letter before.” Renee sighs at the heartbroken tone in Dinah’s voice. She knows the girl has no idea how she feels or what she wants, but the kicked puppy routine is more than Renee can handle while sober.

“I wouldn’t write letters to a girl who broke my heart either.”

“I didn’t mean to!” Dinah says defensively. 

“I know you didn’t. I’m just trying to say… have you considered that maybe wanting her to write letters to you and to invest her time and emotions in you after you played up a big romance with her and then said you didn’t know how you feel after is unfair?” Dinah goes to defend herself, but Renee isn’t having it. “I know you did what you had to do for both of you to survive; nobody blames you for that. It doesn’t change how it made her feel, though.” 

“I know,” Dinah mumbles after a moment. “I just, I don’t know, I don’t want to lose her.”

“Then tell her that, Dinah! You’ll have plenty of time on the tour to talk to her and try to sort out your feelings and whatever else you have going on. Just… be honest with her.” Renee takes a long sip of the alcohol, emptying her glass, before setting it on the countertop. “Also, I wrote her first. That’s why she writes to me.”

“What?” Dinah is beyond confused. It isn’t that Renee isn’t a caring individual. It’s just that Renee didn’t seem too invested in Helena back in the Capitol. “Why did you write to her?” Renee shrugs.

“You can ask her for the details if you want them, but when she got back to her district she had a big falling out with her parents. I didn’t really care at first, but then I remembered the only person she has back there is Dick Grayson, and I’m not sure that boy is a good support system for anybody, so I wrote her a letter. I just wanted her to know if she needs anything that I’m here, and that I think her parents suck. She wrote back and then… it just became a routine.”

“Oh.” Renee snorts.

“Yeah. Now look, I love these little chats of ours, but you should head home. Spend some time with your mom and sister before we leave tomorrow. Let me get drunk in peace. I’ll see you in the morning, got it?” 

“Got it,” Dinah nods. “Try not to be too hungover by the time everyone shows up.” Renee grumbles to herself and walks off, confident Dinah can show herself out of the house without issue. Dinah pauses at the door. She considers turning back and telling Renee about President Sionis’ visit, but she doesn’t even know how, so she just heads out the door and back over to her own home. There’s so much uncertainty ahead of her, but she hopes to relax for the night and just focus on spending time with her mom and Cass before the chaos of being a victor is back on her doorstep.

\---

Dinah is sitting at the breakfast table arguing with Cass about whether deer or elk tastes better when there’s a knock on the door. Laurel stops washing dishes and dries her hands, and then she walks over to the door to open it up. There in the doorway stands Zatanna in black leather pants, a change, likely caused by the cold from the usual fishnets during the games, a white button down shirt and a black and gold suit jacket. The outfit is as glittery as usual and features her signature top hat, but the hat has a gold band now. Dinah’s three person styling team is there behind her, but she doesn’t know them nearly as well.

“There you are!” Zatanna says when she spots Dinah. She rushes in and Dinah stands up just fast enough to receive a hug from the woman. “It is so good to see you, dear. Please tell me you have heard about Ivy!” Each member of the styling team hugs and greets Dinah, saying how much they’ve missed her, but her attention is completely on Zatanna.

“What happened? Is Ivy okay?” Zatanna waves a hand dismissively.

“Okay? Dear, she and Helena’s stylist, Harley Quinn, are taking the Capitol by storm! Not to mention, they seem to have _quite_ the spark. Everyone in the Capitol is wearing them!”

“I wouldn’t say everyone.” Dinah spins around at the voice behind her to find the tall redhead standing in front of the door. She immediately throws herself into Ivy’s arms. 

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Dinah whispers.

“How are you?” Ivy asks her. Dinah doesn’t know if she can answer that question honestly, so she attempts to deflect.

“How is Harley?” Ivy sees right through the attempt, though.

“How is Helena?” She fires back with a smirk. 

“Holy shit! You’re Ivy right?” Cass says, squeezing into the conversation and unintentionally saving Dinah. 

“I am. You must be Cass?” Cass nods, excited that she knows her name.

“It was SO cool when you lit Dinah on fire! How did you do it?” Ivy laughs loudly and points to the kitchen table.

“I still have my sketches and notes from those outfits. Wanna sit down and I can show them to you while the prep team gets Dinah ready?” Cass practically bounces over to the table. Dinah is convinced the girl is Ivy’s biggest fan in all of the districts. Zatanna and her prep team rush her away to her room to get her ready for the interview. Zatanna walks her through their schedule over the next few weeks for the tour while she and the prep team also intermittently slip in some gossip from the Capitol and questions about how Dinah feels about being a mentor for a Quarter Quell. Every 25 years, a random twist is put on the Hunger Games. Dinah doesn’t remember any since she’s never been alive for one, but she knows that in the 50th Hunger Games they sent in four tributes from each district instead of two. That was the year Renee won; she doesn’t talk about it much for obvious reasons. Dinah entertains their questions and gossip, but truthfully she doesn’t want any part in the games, nonetheless a Quarter Quell.

“It should be time any minute now!” Zatanna announces as the prep team finishes helping Dinah into the last part of the outfit Ivy designed for the interview, a black coat with a grey fur lapel. Dinah is beyond grateful that Ivy has her dressed warmly. Zatanna leads the way back down the stairs and towards the front of the house. “Helena will already be out there waiting for you. You’ll wait for the cue and then step out the front door, down the steps, and right into the arms of the girl you love! It’s just a short interview, so make the most of it!” Dinah can hear John Constantine on the television in the living room giving an introduction about her and Helena and their epic romance. She feels like her stomach is twisting in knots as she thinks about seeing Helena for the first time in so long.

“I have got to introduce you to Harley, you’d love her. She’s a big fan of explosions and causing trouble.” Ivy says to Cass. She looks up and sees Dinah approaching and moves over to her. “You look lovely, darling. Feeling okay?” Dinah wants to tell Ivy everything. She wants to tell her how she doesn’t know if she loves Helena or Oliver or both or neither and how she almost wishes she had just ate the berries and let Helena be the lone victor and how Roman Sionis, the President of Panem, paid a visit to her home to tell her that if she doesn’t convince him that she loves Helena then everyone she cares for will be in danger. She wants to tell Ivy all of it. She knows she could trust her with the information, but the timing is as terrible as can be, so she just smiles and nods.

“Just a little nervous.” Ivy smiles, understanding all over her features, and makes a few small adjustments to Dinah’s jacket. She fastens the gold mockingjay pin, which she must have gotten from Laurel, just inside the jacket. The audience probably won’t see it, but it isn’t there for them.

“Okay everyone it is time!” Zatanna shouts, clapping her hands and rushing over to the door. “Remember Dinah, big smile! You’re happy. You’re in love. And you’re on camera in 3, 2, 1.” She opens the front door and shoves Dinah out. The snow is still falling, but it’s a very light snowfall. There’s a camera set to follow her on a track as she moves down the steps, but it only has her attention for a moment. 

Helena is at the end of the steps, just under one of the large trees in the center of the lot, waiting for her. She’s got on a white sweater with a black leather jacket and black pants. She doesn’t look much different from how she did after the games, but the sight of her alone is enough to make Dinah smile. She rushes down the steps and across the snow to embrace Helena, but she’s moving a little too fast, and Helena doesn’t have enough experience to keep steady on ice. They both slip and fall to the ground together with a thud. Dinah lands right on top of Helena. She hears John Constantine yell “Uh oh!” and it reminds her that they’re live on camera for all of Panem to see. Dinah meets Helena’s eyes, a silent question in them, and Helena answers it by leaning up to kiss her. It’s their first kiss in months, and somehow, it makes Dinah feel safe for the first time since she entered the office to find President Sionis there. She knows she isn’t alone. No matter how much she may have hurt Helena, she knows that Helena will still protect her and look out for her. The thought fills her with guilt and makes her want to sob, but she can’t do that, so she settles for pulling the girl to her feet. She tucks herself into Helena’s muscular body as they turn their attention to the cameras.

“Hi John,” Helena greets easily.

“Hello!” His voice comes out clearly from the speakers. “How are the two of you? Anything interesting going on in your lives since we last heard from you?”

“We’re good.” Helena is tense under Dinah’s touch, but you could never tell just from looking at her. “We’ve just been getting used to our lives as victors.”

“How have the two of you been staying in touch? Is long distance a struggle for you?”

“We’ve been writing letters back and forth.” Dinah says. “It isn’t the same as having her here with me, but it’s as good as I can ask for right now.”

“Have you discussed one of you moving so you can be in the same district and see each other more often?” Dinah fights to keep her face from dropping. She can’t imagine leaving District 7 behind, leaving her mom and Cass and Oliver behind. It’s just-

“I would go wherever she wants me to, John.” Dinah turns her head to meet Helena’s eyes. “My home is wherever she is.” She can practically hear the audience cooing over Helena’s statement, and she honestly can’t blame them one bit. 

“So heartwarming,” John says. “We’ll be checking in with the two of you throughout your victory tour! Thank you very much to the victors of the 74th Hunger Games, Dinah Lance and Helena Bertinelli.” The two of them wave to the camera until the music fades out and they’re sure they’re not on air any longer.

“Alright everyone! Get it together because if we are not out of here in the next ten minutes I will drag each and every one of you to the train myself!” Zatanna shouts from behind them. Both prep teams rush to load up their supplies in the cars parked outside. They’ll go back to the Capitol while the stylists, mentors, and Zatanna accompany them on the victory tour. Only one escort was selected to go on the tour, and Dinah can’t help but be grateful it was Zatanna and not Sal.

“You should go say goodbye to your mom and your sister.” Helena tells Dinah. She nods, not sure what to say, and heads inside to do so. She finds Harley and Ivy talking to Cass about mixing pyrotechnics with fashion design while Zatanna and her mother carry on a conversation of their own, but the three of them clear out for Dinah to have a moment alone with her family. She tells them goodbye and hugs them and warns Cass to stay out of trouble while she’s gone. Zatanna eventually comes and shuffles her out the door to the car that will take them to the train station. Things mostly blur together from there. Dinah and Helena sit in awkward silence beside each other while Dick, Harley, and Ivy joke around in the back seat. Zatanna fixes her makeup beside Helena, and Renee sits in the passenger wearing dark sunglasses while she nurses a hangover. They smile and wave to everyone gathered to see them off as they get onto the train. Once they’re on and the train is headed towards their first stop, District 11, they all gather as one big team for a large lunch. Everyone seems to be having fun for the most part; even Dick and Renee share some friendly banter over the meal. Helena tries to engage, but she keeps looking to Dinah, who remains silent, with concern. 

Almost immediately after finishing dessert, Dinah excuses herself and heads to the back of the train. The last car on their train has glass windows all around the walls giving a full view of the scenery as they zoom past. It has a u-shaped couch along the walls right under the windows as well as a few lamps and two tables by the door loaded with drinks and snacks. She sits down in the middle of the couch and leans against the back, staring out at the forest passing behind them. Dinah pulls her gold mockingjay pin from her pocket and runs her fingers along it. She wants the tour to be over before it has even started. It isn’t that she’s trying to come off as hostile to everyone on the team. She really doesn’t want to. She just has a hard time pretending to be something she isn’t, and since that’s what she’s meant to do for the entire tour she isn’t feeling particularly great about it. It doesn’t help that the very first stop is District 11. The victory tour is filmed and edited by the Capitol into a highlight reel, much like the games were. They’ll put the clips in numerical order by district, but for the sake of efficiency they don’t travel in that order. They’ll start in one district and wrap their way around the country, hitting each district as they go in a route specially planned by the Capitol. Maybe it’s just bad luck that Terra’s district will be their first stop, but something tells Dinah it was a very intentional choice, likely made by President Sionis himself. The door to the car slides open, but she doesn’t turn to look at the person joining her. She doesn’t want to hear what Renee has to say about her uncomfortable silence.

“I’m not in the mood for a lecture.” She says.

“Good thing I’m not here to give one then, I guess.” Dinah jerks her head around to see Helena coming to join her on the couch.

“Sorry, I thought you were Renee.”

“Nah, you don’t need to apologize,” Helena says with a shake of her head. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you. Figure now is probably the best time.” Dinah watches her with curiosity as the girl sighs and stares out the window for a moment. “I want you to know that I’m not going to hold you to anything you said in the games, okay? You saved us, Dinah. I know that. It wouldn’t be fair of me to do that to you.” Helena finally looks at her and Dinah has to resist the urge to hug her. She’s done such a good of faking it and smiling for the cameras and their teams, but now, when it’s just the two of them, Dinah can see how stressed and tired Helena really is. “But I cannot keep acting for the crowds and the cameras and just… ignoring each other behind the scenes. So if you can find a way to stop looking at me like I’m wounded, then I can quit acting like it. Because no matter how I may feel, I would at least like to try being friends.”

“I’m not very good at friends,” Dinah warns softly. “Never have been.”

“I mean, a good start is just… getting to know each other. We could start with something small and work our way up to the deep stuff,” Helena says with a shrug. “Like what’s your favorite color?”

“That’s too personal,” Dinah says. Helena laughs and sits back, relaxing a bit. Dinah holds up her pin for Helena to see it. “Gold. That’s my favorite color. What’s yours?”

“Purple.”

“Purple?” Dinah asks, a little surprised. “Like Dick’s tie?”

“No.” Helena smiles. “Not like a lavender. It’s like… like a deep purple. Like what you see in the sunset just before nightfall.” Dinah is about to respond when the whole car gets dark as the train goes through a long tunnel. She leans forward a bit in confusion, seeing something on the wall ahead. The light on the tunnel wall flickers as they pass by, illuminating a massive red mockingjay, one that looks just like her pin, graffitied on the wall. The train is moving so quickly that it’s gone just as quickly as it arrived.

“Did you see that?” Dinah asks. Helena looks around in confusion.

“See what?” The train emerges from the tunnel, filling the car with light once more, and Helena stands up. “Woah.” Large armored peacekeeper trucks, at least a dozen of them, are driving along the side of the train tracks, which have been fenced in since the games ended. Dinah doesn’t doubt for even a second that they’re reinforcements being sent into districts where uprisings may occur, or may even already be occurring. Uprisings she caused on accident. Uprisings that could tear her life even further apart and rip away everyone who she loves and cares for. “Dinah,” Helena whispers, trying to get her attention. “You okay?” Dinah realizes how her face must look, how terrified and anxious she probably seems, and puts on a calm and collected mask as she meets Helena’s eyes.

“Yeah. I’m okay,” she lies. It’s an easy lie. It comes out so effortlessly for her. It’s a lie she’s told time and time again and will keep having to tell for as long as she has to for the appeasement of President Sionis. Helena nods like she accepts the answer and believes her, but Dinah sees the way her brown eyes narrow ever so slightly, and she knows Helena hasn’t fallen for it.

“I’m gonna go see what everyone else is up to.” Helena says. Dinah wants her to extend an invitation. She wants her to ask if Dinah wants to join her. She wants some sign that her lie hasn’t already done damage to the bond they were mending. It doesn’t come, though. Helena just exits the car quietly, leaving Dinah alone once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave comments/kudos if youre enjoying this fic or enjoyed this chapter. you can deadass just be like "chapter good. me like" and i will want to print it out and put it on my fridge. and that goes for any fic not just this one. im super bad about commenting on fics but im working on doing it more often bc i know how much they mean to me and i want to spread that same happiness to other writers. im also working on being better about responding to comments bc like. i love and appreciate all of yall and want you to know it <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what? another chapter only 2 days later? thats right. i cranked out 16.5k words in 4 days. and thats on hyperfixation. i was like "i am going to fit the whole entire victory tour into one chapter" and then i simply did It. it took over 9k words but hey! it be like that
> 
> my loyal readers..... i see yall.... i love yall.... i hope yall enjoy this chapter *insert simp emoji here*

The train reaches District 11 early in the morning the following day. Dinah spends what feels like an eternity staring out the window of her room at the district. Fields of various crops stretch on as far as she can see; what looks like orchards are off in the distance, barely within view. Small communities are scattered about between fields, filled with houses that look more like shacks. The houses near the train station are more upscale, but the level of poverty ravishing the district is still noticeable on them. Dinah is not unfamiliar with poverty and hunger and everything else that comes with it, but District 7 is nowhere near as unlucky as 11 is. It’s a massive district, too, possibly even the biggest. There’s more people in it than she could even begin to count. So many people… and yet when small and defenseless Terra was called up to that stage there wasn’t even a whisper of a volunteer. Zatanna knocks on the door of her room and calls for her to come get ready, and Dinah is grateful for the distraction from her thoughts.

Dick and Renee sit together in a pair of cushioned chairs watching as Ivy does Dinah’s makeup despite their disinterest. Helena is getting ready with Harley in her room, so Zatanna flutters back and forth between the two victors making sure things are running smoothly and everything is on schedule. Every time the woman glances at her watch and then at Ivy and Dinah and then hums to herself Dinah wants to scream. They would never get anywhere on time if it weren’t for Zatanna’s persistence, though. Dick and Renee don’t give a single shit about things happening in a timely manner, and it’s safe to assume that Harley and Ivy are the same. Plus, Dinah knows the escort is just trying to be helpful and do her job, so she withholds the scream and stays still for her stylist. Ivy has her in a simple navy blue shirt without sleeves and a pair of grey pants. It’s probably the most simple outfit she’s worn for anything related to the games.

“Ah, lovely!” Zatanna says with a clap of her hands. Dinah turns her head to see Harley and Helena coming down the hall together. Helena has on a grey short-sleeved button down and black pants. Harley, however, is in a brightly colored pink and blue shirt to match her hair and a pair of jeans. It’s just as simple as theirs are in concept; it just happens to be a bit louder. Ivy double checks Dinah’s makeup and outfit to make sure everything is to her liking. Zatanna turns to her. “Are we ready to go then?”

“Yeah,” Ivy says. “They both look good.”

“The mayor will introduce you both, and then you’ll just give a quick speech. Don’t worry, though. I’ve prepared cards for you to read off of. They’ll present you with plaques and maybe flowers or something else. You can head into the Justice Building right after that as they’ll be serving a celebratory dinner.” Zatanna says and holds out a card to each of them. Dick clears his throat awkwardly as they both take a card.

“It’s uh. It’s customary to acknowledge the fallen tributes of the district. If you had some form of alliance with them it’s also kind of an unspoken expectation that you make it a bit more of a eulogy than a statement. I know Terra meant a lot to both of you, and I understand Jaime is a big part of how you both made it out of there. Renee and Zatanna and I did our best to capture that in the speeches, but please look over them and if you aren’t content with the statements let us know so we can make any adjustments before it’s too late.” Dinah looks down at her own cards and skims it for a moment. It’s nothing special, and it’s extremely formal. She would like to say something more personal and from the heart, but she doesn’t consider herself to be particularly good with words, so the ones written by their mentors and escort will have to do.

“It’s good.” Dinah tells them. “This works.” Helena nods in agreement but doesn’t say anything. Dinah hands Ivy her mockingjay pin to secure onto her shirt.

“Alright, let’s get this over with then.” Renee grumbles as she gets up from her seat. They go through the main doors of the train and step out onto a platform. There’s no welcoming committee for them, just a line of several peacekeepers who wordlessly guide them to an armored truck. The moment the doors slam shut and lock them all into the truck, Zatanna scoffs.

“How very festive of them.” The truck lets them out at the Justice Building, and they’re quickly ushered inside and to the main doors. There are peacekeepers everywhere, far more than there ever are in District 7, and Dinah can’t help but wonder if it’s because of their presence or if District 11 is one of the ones with growing unrest. The mayor is making his opening remarks just on the other side of the massive doors. Dinah’s pretty sure they’re made of oak, but she isn’t positive. Oliver would be able to tell with ease.

“Are you ready?” Helena whispers beside her. Dinah considers saying yes for a moment.

“Not at all.” Helena looks at her sympathetically and offers her hand.

“Me neither.” She says. Dinah knows it’s part of keeping the act up, but when she takes it the girl’s hand in hers it gives her more comfort than anyone else possibly could. There are people who know Dinah better, but nobody can quite understand what she’s feeling like Helena can. The doors are pulled open with a loud groan as the mayor finally announces them. Zatanna gives them a gentle push forward out the doors and onto the stage. There’s a single microphone waiting for them at the front of the stage. The crowd applauds, but there’s no cheering or whistling like in the Capitol; there’s no enthusiasm for their arrival. It’s a huge crowd, but Dinah can’t imagine that it’s more than a fraction of the district population. There are smaller stages set up in the crowd, maybe just 20 or 30 yards from the stage, where large screens project the faces of Terra and Jaime, and their families stand before them. There’s an old woman and a girl who looks to be Jaime’s sister on his stage. On Terra’s is her mother and five younger siblings. They look so much like her; it makes Dinah want to run off the stage, and she can tell in the way Helena’s grip on her hand tightens that she isn’t alone in that feeling.

“Thank you,” Helena says into the microphone. “It’s an honor to be here with you all today and to be with the families of your fallen tributes.” She seems like she’s holding her breath suddenly. She glances down at the cards, and then back up at the crowd, at Jaime’s family, at Terra’s, and then she puts the cards down at her side where she can no longer see them. Dinah does her best to hide her concern.

“They both fought with dignity, and honor. They fought for others just as much as they fought for themselves. They were both so young.” Helena’s voice wavers, and Dinah squeezes her hand to try and remind her she’s not alone. “Our lives are not just measured in years, though. They’re measured in the way we touch the lives of people around us. Of people we love and are loved by. Dinah and I both know that we would not be standing here today without Terra and Jaime. In recognition of that, knowing that there is no way it could ever make up for your loss, we would like to donate a month of our winnings to the families of the tributes every year, for the rest of our lives.” The crowd is filled with gasps and murmurs, and Dinah looks at Helena in shock. She isn’t sure if that’s even legal to do. Hell, Helena may not be sure, either. One month of their winnings is more than enough to ensure those families are well provided for over the course of a year. Helena has guaranteed that as long as they live, those families won’t have to live in hunger. Dinah wonders if she understands the magnitude of what she’s done. If she understands how generous and compassionate she is. “We thank you for your children, and we thank you all for the bread.” Helena turns to meet her eyes, and Dinah leans in to place a short kiss to her lips. The crowd applauds, and Helena moves towards the doors, but Dinah holds her in place. She can’t leave. Not without saying something. She steps up to the microphone. Helena stays close enough for Dinah to see her, to know she’s there.

“I… I didn’t know Jaime. I only ever spoke to him once. He easily could have killed me, but he chose to show me mercy instead. That’s a debt I can never repay. I had so much respect for his power. For his refusal to play the games on anyone’s terms but his own. He could have joined the career alliance, and they wanted him to, but he didn’t. It speaks volumes for his character.” Dinah takes a deep breath in and faces Terra’s family. “I did know Terra, though. She wasn’t just our ally; she was our friend. I see her in the flowers that grow outside my home. I hear her in the mockingjay’s call... I see her in my sister, Cass. She was so young, so gentle. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save her.” Dinah feels a tear run down her face and watches as Terra’s mother cries. From the silence of the crowd, a whistle emerges, Terra’s whistle to signal her safety. Dinah places the whistle as an old man in overalls lifts his hand to his mouth. He presses three fingers to his lips, and raises them up. It’s the sign from Dinah’s district; it’s the way she said goodbye to Terra for the last time. Every person in the crowd follows the action, and Dinah can feel her chest constricting. The peacekeepers at the foot of the stage pull out their batons, and two of them push into the crowd. Dinah feels like she’s going to pass out as Helena rushes forward, yelling for them to stop, only to be grabbed by two other peacekeepers.

“No, wait!” Dinah yells as she and Helena are both being dragged into the Justice Building by peacekeepers. “Leave him alone, please!”

“Let me go!” Helena snarls, trying to fight back against their hold. The old man is being dragged towards the stage and every plea from Dinah is going ignored. Helena is basically tossed in the doors by the peacekeepers, landing on the ground with a harsh thud. Dinah watches in agony as the man is forced to his knees in front of the entire crowd. The doors are pushed just as a peacekeeper raises his gun and puts a bullet through the old man’s head. Dinah feels arms wrap around her before she can move. Ivy and Renee hold her back, but nobody is fast enough to catch Helena. She launches herself at one of the peacekeepers that dragged her in, yelling and cursing as she does so. She shoves him violently to the ground, and Dinah’s heart stops as the one beside him raises his baton at her, but Dick yanks her back roughly.

“Stop it!” He yells. “Helena, stop!”

“What did I do?” Dinah cries, turning in Renee’s arms to look at her. “What have I done?” Renee looks around at the scene unfolding.

“Come on. Upstairs. Now.” She pushes Dinah towards the staircase and meets Dick’s eyes. He gives a short nod and nudges Helena towards them.

“Go,” he tells her. “I’ll handle this. Go with them.” Helena and Dinah both let Renee push them up the stairs while the rest of the team stays downstairs to do any possible damage control that may be needed. Renee points at another staircase once they reach the second floor, a rickety one that looks like a hazard more than anything. She leads them over to it and pushes on the old trapdoor it leads to. There’s light filtering in through the windows of what seems like the attic, and Dinah realizes they’re in the dome of the Justice Building. Renee turns on the two of them, frustration clear on her face.

“We made things so easy for you two.”

“I didn’t mean for anyone to get killed. I didn’t want this.” Dinah sobs. “He has to know that.” Renee’s eyes narrow at her, and Helena looks at her in confusion.

“He? Who is he?” Renee asks. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“President Sionis. He came to see me.” Helena’s jaw drops and Renee’s hands go to rub at her temples. “He warned me about rebellion in the districts. He said it’s because they don’t believe our story.”

“So what, he wants you to make them believe it?” Dinah tries her best to catch her breath.

“He wants me to fix it. I think he’s been watching my every move because he knew Oliver and I had kissed. He blames this all on me for pulling out the berries. I was supposed to use the tour to calm people down and make them believe everything with the berries was out of love and not defiance. I was supposed to calm things down, but all I’ve done is make it worse. Someone is dead because of me now.”

“Goddammit Dinah!” Helena raises her voice. “You should have told me about this! I just made things worse by giving that money.”

“I’m sorry,” Dinah says, turning towards her. Helena’s eyes are filled with anger and hurt and grief, and Dinah feels sick knowing she’s the reason it’s all there. “I didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry. He threatened to kill my family.”

“After all we went through in that arena do I not at least deserve the truth from you?!” Dinah wants to hug her and hold her close and beg for forgiveness, but she knows she’ll be pushed away if she tries to in this moment. She reaches out for her hand, though, and Helena doesn’t jerk it away like she’s expecting her to.

“You do. You deserve so much, Helena. I’m so sorry. I just didn’t know how or when to tell you. And I didn’t want to make things harder on you because you’re already so so good.” Helena yanks her hand away at that.

“Not today I wasn’t! Do you realize what I’ve done? Do you think Jaime and Terra’s families are getting that money? They’ll be lucky if they survive through the day, Dinah!” She turns and kicks an old chair over, but it isn’t enough. She throws her fist out at a lamp sitting on a rotting wooden side table, sending it flying across the room where it shatters on the floor. Helena is shaking, her whole body seething with rage. Dinah is preparing for another outburst, but it doesn’t come. Helena lowers her voice to a whisper and says, “I was supposed to protect her.”

“What about them?” Renee asks. Helena and Dinah both turn to look at the mentor, and she gestures out the window. “Who’s going to protect them?” She takes a deep breath and looks at Dinah sadly. “What were you thinking, sweetheart?”

“I was thinking about Terra.” Helena lowers her head at Dinah’s words. “Renee, I’m begging you. Please, just help us get through this trip.” Renee puts her hands on Dinah’s shoulders and shakes her a little.

“Dinah, this trip? Open your eyes. This doesn’t end when you get back home. The victory tour isn’t the end of this. You _never_ get off this train. You two are mentors now,” Renee looks at both of them. “Every year they are going to drag you out and broadcast every detail they can about your romance. Every year, your private life will become theirs. They’re going to use you two to distract people for the rest of your lives. To get people to forget all about the real problems.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” Helena asks.

“Smile for the cameras. Read the cards Zatanna gives you. And live… happily ever after. Okay?” Helena nods, and Renee turns to Dinah. “Can you do that?” Dinah also nods, and Renee pulls her into a hug. Helena mumbles something about going to find the rest of the team before dinner and then disappears from the attic. Dinah watches out the window as four peacekeepers carry the old man’s body off the stage. She pulls away and looks at Renee.

“This is what it will always be, isn’t it?” She asks with a sniffle. It’s so much to take in. The price of winning the games is that your life is even less yours than it was beforehand. The Capitol owns them both. They’ll be expected to live together and be happy about it. She can never be with Oliver, even if that is what she decides she wants. She can never find someone else. She can never live alone. In order to protect the people she loves, she’s going to have to marry Helena. Renee sighs and nods.

“Yeah,” she says. “But for the record, kid, you could do a lot worse, you know.” Dinah knows it’s an attempt to make things feel a little lighter even for a moment, but it actually makes her feel worse. She knows how incredible Helena is. How beautiful and compassionate and understanding she is. She knows how lucky she is that it’s Helena and nobody else. She feels terrible that she’s keeping Helena from ever finding someone better, though. 

Things are clearly tense heading into the dinner. Peacekeepers guard every single exit. Renee slipped away with Dick moments after she and Dinah got downstairs to update him on everything and keep him in the loop. Harley and Ivy don’t say anything or give any indication that they know how serious everything really is, but Dinah is pretty sure they do. Zatanna has many complaints about how they’re being treated, how stoic things are, and how rude the peacekeepers have been. 

“I’m sorry.” Dinah whispers to Helena as they stand out in the hall waiting to be introduced for the dinner.

“It’s okay,” Helena says. She smiles at her softly. “I mean it. I understand why you did it. Just no more lying to each other, alright?” 

“Yeah,” Dinah says, taking Helena’s hand in hers. “No more lying.” They hear their names and enter the dining hall. Everything becomes indistinguishable after that. They get on the train. They go to another district. They wake up and eat breakfast and get dressed. Sometimes they ride through in chariots to the stage set up for them, sometimes they ride in an armored car driven by peacekeepers. They get on the stage. Someone makes a speech about them. They make a speech of their own, always written by Zatanna and the rest of their team, and never again with any personal touches added to it. They’re given flowers and plaques and gifts from each district. They attend a dinner with the mayor and their teams and other officials in the district. Sometimes they dance after, others they just head straight for the train. There’s little variation between the districts other than the scenery. 4 gives them a carriage ride along their most beautiful beaches. 6 gives them a tour of the district and it’s factories. 8, 3, and 5 greet them with an enthusiasm unlike the others. The crowds chant and yell for Dinah and Helena, a hint of fury underneath each word. When the peacekeepers push into those crowds, the people push back. They try to carry on and pretend they're in love and somehow stop that rage from boiling over.

Everywhere they go Dinah and Helena keep their arms linked or their hands together. They kiss and flirt and pretend to get caught sneaking off together. They don’t keep their hands off each other when they’re in public, but on the train the loving touches cease. Helena stares at Dinah adoringly and hangs off her every word, never acting at all. Dinah fakes most of it for the cameras, but as their private carriage goes down the road alongside the ocean in District 4, she finds herself staring off at the sunset and thinking about the shade of purple. She turns to say something to Helena about it, about how she understands why she loves that color, and she finds Helena is paying far more attention to her than the world around them. Dinah leans in and kisses her softly; Helena assumes it’s for the act, and it mostly is, but not completely. Dinah doesn’t tell her that, though.

On the way from District 8 to District 12, Dinah’s nightmares become worse than they ever were back home. She wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and crying. Helena comes running to her rescue at the first scream. Dinah tells her that she’s okay and it was just a dream. Helena says that it’s okay. That she has them too. She goes to leave the room, but Dinah calls her back.

“Will you stay with me?” She asks. Helena seems shocked at first.

“Yeah,” she says. She climbs into bed and pulls Dinah into her arms. “Always,” she whispers as Dinah rests her head against her chest.

Dinah dreams of Kory and Damian and Roy and Rachel hunting her down. She dreams of mutts descending on her. She dreams of Terra bleeding out in her arms. Barry bleeding out in her arms. Helena bleeding out in her arms. She dreams of riots and uprisings in districts. She dreams of coming home to the walls of her home painted red with the blood of her mother and Cass and Oliver. She dreams of the old man on stage in District 11. Of Helena and Ivy and Renee and Zatanna and Harley and Dick all taking his place. It takes everything in her to rip herself out of the terror each night. Helena is always there, though, holding her tightly and whispering reassurances to her, placing gentle kisses to her forehead, guarding against any danger until Dinah can drift back off.

District 2 is odd to visit. It looks like a bigger and more industrial and, more notably, wealthier version of what District 12 was. There are large mines and people at work moving and chiseling stone of all kinds. The wealthiest area of District 2 is right in the center of the district; it surrounds their Justice Building and if filled with decorative storefronts and beautiful homes with large gardens. Helena seems on edge the entire time, and Dinah makes an extra effort to be steady and supportive for her. To do for her as she has done time and again for Dinah. They manage to receive permission to visit Helena’s home in their Victor’s Village. The houses in it are much more lively than the one in 7 is; a side effect, Dinah supposes, of having a career academy. Helena’s home seems barely lived in. It’s obvious she lives alone in it, and there are no pictures of family or friends anywhere. Dinah makes note of an expansive book collection her mother would be envious of in one room, a variety of carving tools, clay, and wood, along with shelves full of beautifully sculpted animals, in another, and of the set of throwing knives strategically placed next to Helena’s bed, just how she positioned them by herself before sleeping in the arena. Dinah tries to soak in as much information about the girl as she can. She’s looking at another shelf in the living room filled with old books when Helena approaches her.

“Are you a big reader?” Dinah shakes her head.

“No,” she says with a light laugh. “My mom is, though. She loves old books like these from the old world. She would lose her mind over a collection like this.”

“You should take one for her.” Dinah turns to look at her, expecting it to be a joke, but Helena is completely serious.

“No, I couldn’t.” Helena shrugs.

“Yeah, you can. She would value any of these books far more than I ever have or will. I insist.” Dinah wants to argue, but she just sighs.

“I don’t even know how to pick.” She turns back to the taller girl. “What do you recommend?” Helena stares at the shelf, thinking as hard as she can, for a moment, and then she reaches forward and pulls a book from the shelf with the words _Call of the Wild_ across the front cover.

“There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive,” she recites as she holds the book out to Dinah, “and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive.”

“Impressive.” Dinah says, taking it in her own hands. “What’s it about?”

“A dog.”

“A dog?” Helena laughs at Dinah’s skepticism.

“Just trust me. If your mom hates it I’ll send her another.” Dinah tucks the book into the bag they brought along in case Helena found something she wanted to take back on the train with her. They head out almost immediately after, and go over to Dick’s house to round him up. Dinah is not surprised by anything in his home. He has a grand piano with a half empty bottle of liquor sitting atop it, a few photos of his family and loved ones here and there, his original sword from his games mounted above the fireplace… the only surprise is when a large black and brown dog with pointed ears comes running at she and Helena. She cowers behind Helena, having never seen a dog that big that wasn’t a wolf, and both District 2 victors laugh. They insist Dick’s dog is friendly, but Dinah rushes them both to leave anyway.

They don’t make a speech in District 2, just as they probably won’t in District 7. That’s what allowed them the time to visit the Victor’s Village. They return to the Justice Hall, an elegant building with floors and columns and a massive staircase all made from marble, to get ready for their dinner. Ivy and Harley don’t dress them nearly as casual as they did for the other districts’ events. Helena wears a perfectly tailored and classic black suit. Dinah is put in a stunning black ball gown to match it, and Helena becomes speechless at the sight of her. She gets flustered and trips over her words in a way that Dinah has never seen before. She just laughs, offers her arm to the girl, and gives her a quick kiss on her cheek as a thank you for all of the compliments she was trying so hard to get out. Everyone gushes over her and Helena. Many people also flock to Ivy and Harley to talk fashion with them. It’s easy to see that District 2 is one of the wealthiest districts in all of Panem. At some point during the dinner, though, Helena becomes uncomfortable. She still keeps up the romance act perfectly, but Dinah can see the way she’s withdrawing into herself as the night progresses. The moment they get back on the train, Helena heads for her room without a word. Dinah sits down in a chair across from the couch the stylists have taken up. Harley is laying across it with her head in Ivy’s lap while Ivy plays with her hair.

“I’m worried about Helena.” Dinah confesses to them. Ivy gives Harley a knowing look, and the blonde sits up.

“Listen girly, I know she seemed off tonight, but try not to stress too much about it, aight? There’s nothing you can do to fix what’s bothering her. Believe me, if we could, I would have already.”

“Yeah, but…” Dinah groans. She just wants things to be easy. “Is she okay?”

“She will be. She’s just upset her parents didn’t come tonight. They were invited of course, being part of the wealthy elite of District 2, but they didn’t come. I think Helena was maybe hopin’ they had come around while she was gone.” Dinah gives her a confused look, so Harley sighs and continues. “You didn’t hear this from me, but when she got home from the games her parents were PO’d. She turned her back on the career alliance, didn’t record a single kill the entire time she was in there, allied with a little girl from one of the poorest districts… Basically, she may have come home a victor, but in her family’s eyes it wasn’t because of anything she did. They cut ties with her. Disowned her basically. And she doesn’t have any friends because of how strict training was for the career academy. So she’s all alone.”

“Except for Dick.” Ivy adds. 

“Eh.” Harley says with a shrug. “I love that man, but he can be annoying as all get out.” Ivy rolls her eyes and laughs under her breath, and Dinah can’t hold back her own little smile. Harley leans in and pats her on the knee. “She’ll be okay. I’m sure she would appreciate knowing how much you care, though, kiddo.” Dinah nods in agreement and gets up, leaving the two stylists to do whatever it is they do. She makes her way to Helena’s room and knocks twice. There’s no answer, but she slides the door open anyway. Helena is lying in her bed staring up at the ceiling in complete silence. Dinah isn’t great at comforting others or taking care of people. Laurel passed down her stubbornness and her bravery but not her people skills. She tries to take a page out of Helena’s book, though, and she crawls into the bed beside the other girl. Helena doesn’t move, but she does glance over at her in confusion. Dinah wraps an arm around Helena’s waist and pulls her close.

“Dinah?” Helena whispers. Dinah hums in response. “What are you doing?”

“It’s my turn to hold you.” Helena seems confused at first, but then she lets herself settle into Dinah’s arms. She’s always been the one to do the holding, never the one to be held. It’s nice for a change. They lay in silence together for some time before Dinah speaks again. “Hey, Helena?”

“Yeah?”

“How have I never woken up when you’re having a nightmare?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really yell or thrash or anything. I just wake up like… frozen. Paralyzed with fear.” Dinah runs her fingers through Helena’s short hair absentmindedly.

“You should wake me up.” Dinah knows how hard it is to get her back to sleep after a nightmare; the least she can do is be there for Helena after hers. Helena shrugs, though.

“It’s okay. Most of my nightmares are about losing you, so when I wake up and see you there, it all feels better.” Dinah feels her gut clench at the words. Helena loves her completely and unconditionally, and she doesn’t pressure Dinah to feel the same. Renee’s words echo in her mind: _You could do a lot worse_. In truth, Dinah finds it hard to imagine how she could ever do any better. Helena sighs softly. “It’ll be worse when we both go home and I’m sleeping alone again.” Dinah is surprised by the words. Somehow, while going through the motions of the tour, she managed to forget that all they had left on the tour was the Capitol and District 7. The words come out of her without any hesitation.

“You should stay.” She says. “Like, with me. In District 7. After we finish the stuff for the tour, you should stay. At least for a little bit.” Helena looks up at her with caution.

“Don’t do this to me,” she begs. “Don’t ask me to stay there out of pity.” Dinah shakes her head adamantly.

“It isn’t out of pity,” she says honestly. “Stay with me because I want you to.”

“Okay,” Helena whispers. She seems hesitant still, but she could never refuse Dinah, and she doesn’t really want to anyway. Dinah smiles at her agreement, genuinely happy at the idea of Helena’s presence in District 7. Her only real concern is Oliver. She doesn’t imagine he’ll be rude or uncivil with the girl. She doesn’t want to hurt him by having her around, but she doesn’t see how she could ever be happy without both of them in her life. Maybe it’s selfish. Dinah doesn’t really care.

The train is only a few hours from reaching the Capitol when Renee sits down next to Dick across from Helena and Dinah on the couch. Zatanna, Ivy, and Harley are in the back car drinking together; their laughter can be heard all the way to where the rest of the team is. Their last stop before the Capitol was District 1. Every aspect of the stop was elegant and perfectly executed, but Dinah and Helena felt like they were being suffocated the whole time. Dinah was personally responsible for the death of Kory. Worse, though, was having to face Damian’s father, Bruce, who was also a victor. They were more than ready to leave when the time came. Since getting back on the train, they had been nearly silent, but they stuck close together. Dick scratches at his beard and leans forward with a sigh.

“We’re all aware that Sionis is watching the two of you closely. If what he wants is for you to pacify the districts, then I’m going to take a wild guess and say he isn’t happy right now.”

“You two sound like you’re reciting from a drill manual in every speech,” Renee adds. “You’re supposed to seem passionate and in love.”

“Yeah, well, the stuff Zatanna has been giving us to read hasn’t exactly been the kind of things I feel passionate about.” Helena says, a hint of anger coating her tone.

“Do you think Sionis gives a single shit what y’all feel passionate about? You think it would go over well if that was your excuse for why dissent in the districts is actually getting worse?” Renee asks. 

“Well then what are we supposed to do?” Helena snaps back. They’re desperate. Dinah knows how much is riding on every move they make. She has to convince Sionis, and she’s pretty sure she hasn’t yet. There isn’t much more they can even do, except…

“We could get married.” She says. Dick laughs, and Renee rolls her eyes as she takes a sip of her drink. Dinah holds her ground. “I’m serious. It’ll have to happen eventually. You said it yourself, Renee: we’re never getting off this train.” Dick glances over at Helena apprehensively. Personally, Dinah can’t bear to look at her. Renee leans back on the couch and shares a look with the other mentor.

“I suppose it does make a statement.” Dick says. Everyone pauses, waiting for Helena to speak.

“Sure, whatever. Let’s do it.” She says without looking up at any of them. She gets up and heads for her room before anyone can respond. Dinah wants to follow her. To apologize for dragging her into this and around like this. But Dick holds out a hand to stop her.

“Give her some time,” he tells her. “She didn’t want it like this.” Dinah nods and stays there on the couch. Dick changes the subject and the three of them converse freely until dinner. Helena doesn’t leave her room for the meal, but when night falls she makes her way to Dinah’s room. She slides into the bed and holds Dinah close through another night, doing her best to ward off any nightmares she can.

There’s not any danger of an uprising in the Capitol. They’re treated like celebrities; they’re greeted by crowds of adoring fans, asked for pictures and their autographs. Everyone there believes their love story. Some people even weep over the sight of Helena and Dinah together. Nobody needs convincing there. They still try, though, to sell the act as much as possible. The things they do will be broadcast in the districts. They need people to see them, and believe them. They make an appearance on John Constantine’s show for a special interview about their experience on the victory tour, and their plans heading into the Quarter Quell as first time mentors. Pictures and videos of them kissing and laughing and holding each other play on the screen behind them as they thank all of the districts for the hospitality and gifts. Dinah gushes about how beautiful District 4’s beaches were and Helena briefly talks about how good it was to be home in her district, even if it was just for a day. Helena answers almost every question about the Quarter Quell, which Dinah can’t possibly be more grateful for. John leads them into a series of questions about their future. Dinah is sure it was planned ahead of them because it provides Helena the perfect opportunity to get down on one knee and deliver a beautiful speech that ends with her asking Dinah to marry her. John sheds some tears, the audience screams and cries, and the faces of people absolutely beside themselves with joy all across the district are broadcast on the screen behind them when Dinah accepts.

The very next night they’re dressed in the most vibrant outfits of the whole tour for the party being held at the Presidential Palace. Ivy designs a sweeping black dress with a gold floral pattern for Dinah. Helena is put into a lavish suit that’s solid black, but when the light catches flecks of gold sparkle across it. Everyone on the team is dressed to match the Capitol crowd as well. Harley wears a silver ball gown with frills or feathers of some kind while Ivy wears a dress that’s the perfect green to match her eyes, and it’s pattern of leaves and vines in a slightly darker shade of green along the sides reminds Dinah off the woods back home. Dick has on a royal blue suit that is sure to draw anyone’s attention to him. Renee wears a grey plaid pantsuit; it isn’t nearly as bright and exciting as what the rest of them are in, but for Renee it’s significantly more than usual. Zatanna is in some poofy and feathery dress that Dinah can’t look at for too long without getting a headache. Of all of them, Zatanna is the most excited to be at the event it seems. She leads the pair of victors up the staircase to the event; the rest of their team trails behind them about 20 feet or so.

“Chins up, eyes bright, and let me see those smiles! There will be countless important people, photographers, a camera crew… everyone is here to celebrate the two of you. Take it in and enjoy it because all of this is for you.” The mansion ahead of them is practically glowing from the bright lights of the party. The people present and the music can both clearly be heard from only halfway up the steps. 

“How cozy.” Helena mumbles. Zatanna spins around to face them both.

“Attitude, Helena!” She snaps without dropping her smile. She turns back around and leads the two of them into the center of the party. Helena takes Dinah’s hand just as people begin to stop and watch as they go past. Everyone is waving and applauding, and some occasionally cheer for the two, but they both keep their eyes trained ahead and move through the crowd with ease. They enter a large banquet room inside the mansion that’s nearly the size of the square in District 7. There are tables of various foods against every wall and people everywhere mingling and dancing.

Zatanna essentially lets Helena and Dinah loose to meet everyone they need to at their own pace. They exchange names even though both of them will end up forgetting all of them, shake hands, make conversation, and take pictures with dozens of the Capitol’s wealthy socialites. Many of them show off accessories they’re wearing that feature a gold mockingjay like Dinah’s pin. Countless people seek them out, and they fake interest for the sake of appearances, but neither of them truly care. Dinah and Helena both keep tabs on where every member of their team is because of the anxiety driven need to know their allies and enemies and surroundings well. Renee is firmly planted at the bar, as was expected. Ivy and Harley frequent the bar, but they make the rounds to mingle as well as disappearing from time to time, probably to find a more private space. Dick and Zatanna both have the meeting and greeting mastered, and somehow they don’t seem even slightly annoyed by it. Once the chaos of being the main event dies down a bit, Dinah and Helena make their way to the tables of food together. There are exotic meats, fancy desserts, platters of various cheeses and breads and nuts and fruits imported from every district, and bottles upon bottles of different wines and other spirits being served at the bar. Dinah samples every dish she can, taking as little as possible because she knows she won’t be able to finish it all. Helena has a small plate of meats and cheeses she sticks to picking at while Dinah tries a small selection from every table. 

“You have got to try this!” A wealthy woman who apparently sponsored Helena early in the games holds out a small plate with square desserts that look like brownies aside from their lavender color. “They are absolutely fabulous.”

“Oh, thank you, but I can’t.” Dinah says with a small laugh. “I’m so full already.” The woman’s husband holds out a wine glass with a pink liquid in it.

“Drink this.” He looks so proud of himself. “If you get full, you can just drink it, and then you’ll get sick. That way you can carry on with eating as long as you want!” Dinah clenches her jaw, fighting back the urge to tell them how selfish and senseless they are. Helena comes to her rescue, setting down her own plate on a table and turning back to them with a calm and collected smile.

“Actually, I think it’s time for a dance. It was nice meeting you both. Thank you again for your sponsorship.” Helena delivers the statement in a diplomatic manner, but her tone leaves no room for interruption. She leads Dinah to the dance floor gently. She pulls Dinah against her and they move slowly to the dreamy music playing around the hall.

“I’ve seen so many people… so many children… starving and emaciated on our table back home.” Dinah whispers, eyes looking far off at nothing in particular. “My mom does her best to help them, but medicine can’t heal hunger. Yet here… they’re just throwing it up like food means nothing.” 

“Maybe we were wrong.” Helena says. Dinah’s head turns swiftly, and her eyes narrow in confusion.

“Wrong about what?” Helena looks around. Nobody is close enough to overhear them, but she lowers her voice anyway.

“About trying to subdue the districts.” Dinah falters for a step in shock. 

“Not here.” She says. They can talk about it when they’re away from the camera crews and the people and the pressure to behave a certain way.

“Dinah! Helena!” Zatanna calls out, approaching the pair quickly. A woman in a simple pantsuit and black glasses follows just a step behind. “This is Ellen Yee. She’s the new head gamemaker.”

“You’ve got a tough act to follow.” Helena quips. 

“Helena!” Zatanna looks beside herself with embarrassment. Dinah tries not to laugh. Luckily, Ellen seems to be amused by the comment, too.

“May I steal Miss Lance from you for a short dance?” She asks. Helena looks to Dinah to make sure she’s okay with it. When Dinah gives a subtle nod, she gestures for Ellen to go ahead. 

“What did I say about your attitude!” Dinah hears Zatanna scold Helena as they walk off the floor together. Dinah isn’t a particularly big fan of anyone she doesn’t know well touching her, but Ellen seems to sense that and keeps her touch light and a decent amount of space between their bodies.

“Are you enjoying the party?” Ellen asks.

“It can be a bit overwhelming.”

“It’s appalling.” She says bluntly. “I suppose if you can abandon moral judgement it can be fun, though. As is the case with most things.” Dinah decides to test the waters with the woman, to gauge what kind of a person she really is.

“So head gamemaker? Must be quite the honor to have such an esteemed position.” Ellen shrugs.

“Between you and me, there wasn’t much competition. All I had to do was volunteer.” Dinah narrows her eyes.

“Why would you do that?”

“I saw an opportunity… to make the games mean something.”

“They don’t mean anything.” Dinah says.

“Maybe they can. Maybe you inspired me.” Ellen pulls a gold watch from her chest pocket and flips it open. She holds it up for Dinah to see. “It’s almost midnight.” Dinah shakes off her shock as Ellen runs her thumb across the face of the watch and a gold mockingjay symbol appears on it. She snaps the watch shut. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Dinah.” Ellen walks away just as the Capitol anthem begins to play loudly, leaving her shocked and confused, wondering if the woman was trying to get a message across to her. The crowd of people begins to move in one direction together. Helena approaches Dinah with Zatanna and Dick right behind her.

“The President is about to make a speech.” Zatanna informs her. She pushes the two of them together and to follow the crowd. “Right this way.”

“Do you think we’ve convinced him?” Helena asks. No, Dinah doesn’t think they have. She doesn’t voice it, though.

“What more could we have done?” Helena just shrugs. President Sionis emerges over a balcony where a spotlight is aimed. The crowd cheers and applauds his arrival.

“Tonight,” he begins. “I want to welcome our victors. Two young women who embody the strength and valor of our country And I would like to personally congratulate them on their engagement!” The crowd cheers. “It’s inspiring, truly. I know your love will only continue inspiring us every day for as long as you both may live.” He raises his champagne glass as a toast and fixes his eyes on Dinah and Helena. Fireworks go off behind them, drawing everyone’s attention to them. Dinah turns back as the crowd watches the sky be lit up in so many colors, and she locks eyes with Sionis. He shakes his head just enough for her to get the message: They failed.

The rest of the party is just a long blur for Dinah. More mingling. More dancing. More photos. None of it matters. It didn’t before, but it definitely doesn’t now. Not even an hour after Sionis makes his speech, Zatanna rounds up the entire team and leads the way to the train. They leave the station and head for District 7 the moment the doors are shut. Zatanna says they’ll arrive back in 7 sometime tomorrow afternoon and will have their victory celebration during the evening. Dick carries an inebriated Renee to her room and then goes straight to his own. Ivy and Harley have a glass of wine and watch John Constantine’s show with Zatanna while they’re curled up on the couch. Helena and Dinah go straight to bed. Helena falls asleep quickly, but Dinah lies awake thinking about what the repercussions for her failing will be. She decides to get up and go get a glass of water. 

The train is silent; everyone went to bed a while before Dinah decided to leave her room. She passes a security room with the door cracked open as she goes down the hall. She intends to ignore it, but the images on the screens catch her attention. She peers through the crack to watch the footage being broadcast. There are mobs throwing bricks and molotovs. Buildings and cars and flags are all up in flames. Peacekeepers shoot into the crowds at random in an attempt to hold the raging mobs off. She can tell from having been there just recently that the footage is coming from District 8. Dinah is no expert, but she thinks it’s safe to say these are the uprisings Sionis warned her about. She turns back, not wanting to risk staying too long and being caught, and heads back to her room with a glass of water in hand. Just as she reaches to open the door, it slides open to reveal Helena standing there looking distraught.

“You weren’t there.” Helena is shaking and breathing heavily. “I woke up, and you weren’t there.” It takes her a moment, but, after several moments of staring in back confusion, she finally pieces together that Helena had a nightmare.

“Oh, Helena,” she whispers. She sets her glass on the dresser and takes the girl’s hands, leading her back to the bed. Dinah pulls Helena into her body as they lay down. “I’m right here.”

Dinah has spent a significant amount of time rethinking her decision since inviting Helena to stay with her. Her mind frequently goes back to Oliver. He’s so kind and understanding, and he always gives Dinah far more leniency than she thinks she deserves. When he learns that Helena, that her fiancé, will be sticking around after the celebration… Dinah isn’t sure what he’ll be. Hurt? Angry? Betrayed? All of the above? There’s endless possibilities for how he’s going to react. Dinah knows that having Helena around will mean she spends even less time than usual with Oliver, and that’s not even on the list of things she wants. If anything, she wants more time to spend with him. It’s part of the reason she considered taking back her invitation for a brief moment. She couldn’t do that to Helena, though. Helena has been so good and patient and giving. And the look in her face when she woke up from a nightmare and Dinah wasn’t by her side? Dinah can’t even stomach the thought of sending her back to District 2 to face that every night and be alone. She wants to make Helena feel just as safe and loved as Helena makes her feel. They’ll be arriving in District 7 on a Saturday, which means when Oliver meets her out in the woods the following morning to hunt she’ll be able to break the news that Helena is staying. She wants them both around, no matter how selfish that may be.

Their morning is almost unbelievably casual. Ivy and Harley are both still in their pajamas while they sit and eat breakfast. Renee and Dick play some kind of card game; they’ve gradually gotten along with each other more throughout the tour. Most surprisingly, though, Zatanna arrives to the table not wearing any makeup. Nobody says anything to her, of course. They don’t want to make her feel like she has to wear makeup all the time because she doesn’t. They do pass a few surprised looks around the room. Zatanna runs them through their last schedule. They’ll arrive in the district, get ready on the train, smile and wave to the crowd at the station, and head straight for the mayor’s house where the celebratory dinner is being hosted. They lounge around for a good part of the morning, but the moment the train pulls into District 7’s station everyone jumps into action. It’s still winter, so everyone dresses warmly in long sleeves and furs and boots. Dinah, Helena, and Renee gather all of their belongings from the train since they won’t be coming back to it like the rest of the team will. 

They wave to faces familiar to both Dinah and Renee but are quickly ushered to a car that takes them directly to the mayor’s house. The mayor presents them both with plaques similar to the ones they received in every other district, but he does so privately in his office rather than to a crowd. He gives some long-winded spiel to them both about how their victory has positively affected the people of District 7. Dinah tries to listen; Helena makes no effort at all. They both end up tuning him out about halfway in. When he finally finishes, he leads them both to the dining room where the well-to-do of District 7, the mayor’s family, and Dinah’s family are waiting to have dinner with them and their team. It’s a very relaxed dinner. Conversation is much less about the games and more about day to day life and other casual things. It’s the most welcome Helena has felt in any district along the tour, including her own. 

Helena thinks Cass seems like a cool kid. Granted, Cass allows Dinah to introduce them to each other and that’s about it before she bounces over to Ivy and Harley to talk fashion and drawing and pyrotechnics. Dinah’s mother, Laurel Lance, is far more intimidating. Helena knows she’s a healer by trade, but that doesn’t mean she can’t do some damage. Dinah introduces them to one another, and Laurel fixes Helena with a glare and asks about her intentions with her daughter. Helena is so unprepared for the question she stumbles over almost every word of her answer. Laurel just laughs and tells her she’s just messing with her and how she can’t wait to get to know her better while she stays with them, but Helena still wants to bang her head repeatedly against the nearest hard surface, preferably concrete or a nice brick wall. Dinah kisses her cheek and tells her to relax; it helps a little bit. All in all, the celebration is a good note to end such a stressful tour on. 

Renee bids everyone farewell and heads back to the Victor’s Village when the first few attendees start trickling out. Less than fifteen minutes after that, Zatanna begins nagging everyone about schedules and deadlines and whatnot. Dinah and Helena say goodbye to her, Ivy, Harley, and Dick on the steps of the mayor’s house, and then their team members load up into a car that will return them to the train station. It would be dark out if not for how bright the moon is shining, and the light reflects beautifully off the snow on the ground. Laurel and Cass lead the way on the short walk home in the cold, leaving Dinah and Helena to trail just a few feet behind them. There are no cameras or gossip journalists or sponsors or anything else to watch their every move. It’s just them, so there’s no need to stress about keeping up their act. Helena chooses not to point that out, though, when Dinah reaches down to hold her hand on their walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhhh. yeah i didnt know how to end this chapter dw about it.  
> please continue with the comments and the kudos and shit bc i need validation to survive


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: *absolutely capable of writing the events between the tour and the quarter quell into one chapter*  
> also me: i simply am going to add so much that it takes three chapters instead
> 
> we just out here....... writin and shit. idk. brain empty.  
> heres another chapter tho! enjoy!

Dinah is sitting on a flat rocky area overlooking the lake while she tries to plan it out. It’s not like she has a wide array of options. She failed at the task Sionis gave her, and now the people she loves are in danger. They have to leave; they have to run as far away as they can. Her plan is to take her mother and Cass, of course, but it also includes Oliver and his mother and sisters, Renee, and Helena. She may have to do some pushing to convince them, but she’s confident they’ll come with her. They have to. They’ll be able to handle it. Maybe they couldn’t have before, but now? Now, she believes in them. She, Oliver, and Helena will have the skills to protect the group and hunt. Oliver’s sisters and Cass are smart. They could handle it; it won’t be easy at first, but it will get better. Her mother has years of experiences dealing with sickness and injuries, Oliver’s mother knows how to grow crops and forage well, and Renee is… Well, she’s sure Renee can contribute somehow. They can figure it out later. She shoves her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket and sighs. She never wanted anyone to get hurt because of her. 

A mockingjay hops around on the ground a few feet away from her, pecking at anything edible it can find. If it weren’t for the areas of black on it, the pastel blue and white of its feathers would have it nearly blending into the snow on the ground. Everytime Dinah sees them she thinks of Terra. She’ll probably never escape it. She knows Helena won’t. Helena says most of her nightmares are about losing her, and Dinah does believe her, but she knows by the way Helena whispers the girl’s name in her sleep that the rest of them are about Terra. Helena never fully got rid of the haunted look in her eyes after the cannon sounded that day. She hides it well, but it’s always there, much like the echo of Terra’s song is for Dinah. She hears it every day, but when the mockingjays in the forest are near it’s almost like it gets louder. Part of Dinah always wants to whistle, to give the birds the tune and see how far they can carry it, to see if one day it can make its way back home. She never does, though, and the mockingjays carry on about their mornings, chirping through the silence and cracking seeds without pity.

Dinah turns the gold pin in her pocket over and over in her fingers but doesn’t pull it from her pocket. Sometimes she finds solace in it, sometimes she can’t bear to look at it. The mockingjay will always be associated with Terra for her, but for the rest of Panem their association with it is Dinah. She wanted to scream every single time someone in the Capitol showed off their special mockingjay accessories to her. They took something so meaningful to her, something given to her by Oliver, something that reminds her of Terra, and they made it into little trinkets. The only positive of it is how pissed off it must make President Sionis. Even without Dinah’s influence, the mockingjay is a symbol of rebellion, of something that was never supposed to be allowed to exist. During the rebellion, the Capitol created jabberjays, a genetically enhanced species of bird that could spy on the rebels and bring back intel. The rebels caught on, though. They fed them false information, and as a result, the jabberjays were abandoned to the wilderness. They were meant to die out. Instead, they mated with mockingbirds, creating the mockingjay. The sound of someone approaching has Dinah standing and turning in one fluid motion, bow at the ready. 

“Quite the trip you had there, huh?” Oliver asks. His voice holds the same hint of humor as it always has, but his eyes tell a different story. He feels hurt and betrayed. Dinah understands why; she can’t even blame him. There have been several moments over the past 48 hours that she considered this conversation could be their last. That by coming to the woods at all on another Sunday morning, he’s giving her a chance to keep from losing him.

“Yeah,” she breathes out. “Can we talk?” Oliver tilts his head a little.

“What? No hug first?” Dinah can’t help but rush into his arms. She didn’t want to assume he would want a hug from her after everything that happened on the tour. She is so grateful he does, though. He holds her tightly against his chest, hoping she can’t hear his heart racing beneath his charcoal sweater. Dinah takes a deep breath, inhaling the cinnamon and oak smell that is so familiar and so clearly Oliver. She breaks away slowly after a moment. Oliver glances down a bit of a natural path in the trees. “Wanna walk?” Dinah nods and let’s him lead the way.

“I have a plan.” She says.

“Oh? Haven’t heard that one before.” Dinah rolls her eyes and punches him in the arm. He rubs at it jokingly and laughs. His expression goes serious after a moment. “What do you need a plan for, Canary?”

“It’s… kind of a long story. I mean, really, it started with the berries. In the arena.” And she tells him about it all. She tells him about Renee’s warning before they were crowned victors, about President Sionis’ demand during his visit to her home, about District 11 and the man she and Helena unintentionally got killed, about the crowds full of anger and tension. She tells him about their last push to try and struggle over the finish line by getting engaged and ignores the way he tenses as she does. She tells him about Sionis shaking his head from above to tell her she had failed. She stops walking when she’s finished, and he turns to face her.

“Well… you sure fucked things up, didn’t you?” He breaks into laughter and Dinah wants to choke him for it. 

“Oliver! It isn’t funny! Sionis threatened to have you killed!” He sobers up a little at that. He looks at the ground and rubs at his neck. It’s a nervous habit of sorts for him; he doesn’t do it often.

“Anybody else?” 

“He didn’t really give me a copy of the list, Ollie. I would guess it includes both of our families, though.”

“Okay, that is… bad.” Dinah scoffs. “So what’s your big plan?”

“We run away.” Oliver steps back. He actually looks caught off guard for once. Dinah can’t get a read on him and assumes he’s going to laugh. “You’re the one who said we could do it! The morning of the reaping. You said we could run away. We could make it.” He steps forward and lifts Dinah off the ground, spinning her around and laughing as he does. Dinah can’t help but laugh, too. He sets her down and backs up with a grin.

“We run away…” He sounds amazed. “I’m in, Dinah.”

“Really? Are you sure? I thought you would take more convincing.”

“I’m one hundred percent sure.” He answers. He tilts his forehead down to rest against Dinah’s and pulls her closer. Dinah lets him, and he moves a hand to cup her cheek. His hands are rough and scarred. Hers used to be the same, but when she was knocked out after the games the Capitol took it upon themselves to rid her of any scars that could make her look less desirable. He drops his voice to a whisper even though they’re alone. “I love you.”

“I know.” Dinah is kicking herself internally the moment she says it. Oliver draws back, but she grabs his arm at the elbow to try and stop him. “Oliver, I just mean… you know what you are to me. I can’t think about anyone in that way right now. All I have been able to think about since the reaping, every single day since it, is how afraid I am. I don’t have room for anything else right now, but maybe if we get away things can be different.” She lets go of his arm. “I can be different.” His disappointment is evident all over his face, but he swallows and nods. 

“Then we go. We try.” He kicks a rock across the dirt mindlessly. “When do we leave?”

“If we go tonight, then we can all be far away from here and safe.” Oliver’s eyes snap up to hers, and all she sees is scrutiny.

“Who is all of us?” Dinah knows he won’t like this. She knows she has to tell him, and telling him about this will mean telling him that she’s here. That she’s in their district. In Dinah’s house. In Dinah’s bed. 

“Me, you, our families, Renee,” she says before taking a deep breath. “And Helena.” His brow furrows.

“How is Hele-” and then he puts it together. “She’s here?”

“I asked her to stay.” Dinah whispers. Oliver’s jaw clenches and unclenches as the wheels turn in his head. He looks more hurt than angry. Dinah almost wants him to be angry with her. It would make sense. It would be okay. She would understand. She keeps hurting him, both of them in fact, and yet neither of them get angry with her in the way she’s expecting.

“Sneaking a group that big out won’t be easy, Dinah. If we get caught it’s absolutely a death sentence… Are you sure about this? Are you sure the President isn’t just bluffing?”

“I’m sure,” Dinah tells him. “Not with what all is happening in the districts.” Oliver turns back to look at her once more.

“What’s happening in the districts?” Dinah doesn’t want to tell him. She knows Oliver. She knows that it will make him more excited than worried. She can’t lie to him, though. It wouldn’t be fair.

“Huge crowds of people angry and yelling. Starting fires. Fighting back against the peacekeepers even when they open fire.” His eyes brighten and cheeks flush. He looks hopeful, and Dinah hates that he doesn’t realize what is happening. What she caused. “This is my fault, Ollie. I could have eaten the berries. I could have just done it and died in there and everybody would be safe.”

“Safe to what?” Oliver asks, his frustration coming out full force. Not at her, though. At the Capitol. “To starve? To work like slaves? To die of diseases when there are cures in the Capitol? Send their kids off to the reapings and hope they come home?” His voice goes to a much gentle tone and the fire in his eyes softens just a little. “You haven’t hurt anyone, Dinah; you’ve given them an opportunity. They just have to be brave enough to take it.” 

“Oliver, we have to go. They will kill us if we don’t.”

“What about those other families, though? Not everyone can run away? So what? We just save ourselves? Say it’s every man for himself to the people who helped me feed my family after our dad’s died? Who cut your mom discounts on just about everything in the market so she could keep herself and Cass fed on the weeks I couldn’t hunt enough between work? Who took up a collection for you while you were in that arena even though they have so little already?” Dinah knows he’s right. She knows how selfish it would be to leave. They have to be okay with that in order to guarantee their families’ safety, though. But she should have known he would never do it. He could never make the selfish choice. He’s far too good of a person for that, and it’s such a wonderful quality about him. She just doesn’t want his compassion to be the death of him. He looks at her with nothing but hope and optimism. “People are looking to you right now, Dinah.”

“I don’t want anyone looking to me!” She snaps. “I never did... I can’t help them.” Oliver is about to respond, but then his eyes widen and he jerks Dinah down to the ground with him. She hears it, then. The fast approach of vehicles from the distance. They keep themselves crouched low behind tall grass and bushes. They can see, just between the blades and leaves, a line of armored peacekeeper trucks heading towards District 7. 

“You do what you want, Canary, but I have to stay here.” Oliver tells her the moment the trucks are out of their sight. He stands up and offers her a hand. She hesitates, wanting to just stay there in the brush and let the wolves or bears or whatever else get her, but then she accepts and lets him pull her up from the ground. They make their way back to District 7. They don’t speak to each other as they go, but there’s no tension between them. Dinah knows she won’t get what she wanted, but to walk away from the conversation without losing Oliver feels like a victory on its own. They aren’t far from the fence when a gunshot rings out through the air. They share a look, and then they take off at a sprint. 

They hear the chaos long before they’re even past the fence, but the sight of it as they exit the alleyway is worse than they expected. People are being pushed around by peacekeepers, beaten and kicked, dragged across the gravel like they’re nothing more than objects. The peacekeepers are throwing everything in their way around, most of it breaking and shattering against the ground or walls. There are people screaming and children crying; everyone is running to the safety of their homes as fast as they can manage. In the heart of the terror, though, some of the peacekeepers are armed with flamethrowers and are torching the entire marketplace. Every shop, every piece of merchandise, everything single thing is up in flames, black smoke filling the air above it. There’s no hesitation from either of them; Dinah and Oliver both run straight into the chaos. They yell and gesture to guide people away from the fire. Both of them pick up any passing children and shove them into the arms of able adults. Oliver picks up an elderly woman and carries her from the scene as quickly as possible.

“Dinah!” She whips around at the sound of her name to see Cass running from the market and to her. 

“Cass, holy shit!” She grabs the girl by the shoulders and checks her all over. “Are you okay? What are you doing here by yourself?” Cass spins around in panic and confusion, and then she relaxes.

“I wasn’t by myself.” She points towards the marketplace, and Dinah looks up to see Helena coming towards her with Sal’s arm thrown over her shoulder. Dinah is about to run right at them, but suddenly Oliver is there and putting Sal’s other arm over his own shoulder. The two of them help the man hobble away from the fire at the fastest pace they can. Dinah and Cass lead them down a long alley between houses that opens up to a nearly empty street. There are no peacekeepers there. It’s just random people of District 7 helping each other out. Dinah sees an iron water pump and guides them to sit Sal down on an old bench beside it. A nearby woman runs over with rags at the sight of the cut across Sal’s forehead that’s bleeding. Dinah doesn’t even know where to start with all that’s going on, but then she turns on Helena.

“Are you okay?!” She shouts. Helena doesn’t even get a chance to answer before Dinah is turning her arms over, checking her face and neck, panicking over the thought of missing something. Of missing a serious injury again. Helena grabs her hands to stop her.

“I’m okay. I promise.” She looks at Oliver and then back at Dinah in concern. “Are you both okay?”

“Yeah,” Dinah says, finally taking a deep breath. “Everyone is okay.”

“Everyone is okay.” Helena reassures. She drops Dinah’s hands and turns her attention to Sal and the woman cleaning the cut above his eye. “Are you okay, sir?” Sal looks at her like she’s crazy.

“Am I okay? You just saved my life, and you’re asking if I’m okay?” Helena clearly doesn’t know how to react, and Sal laughs loudly. “Of course I’m okay. I can’t thank you enough.” Helena looks embarrassed to have the attention on her, but Dinah finds herself looking at the girl with nothing but pride. 

“Y’all should go home,” Oliver says. Dinah looks at him in surprise. She’s expecting a hurt or uncomfortable look because of Helena’s presence, but it isn’t there. “Laurel is going to be worried sick. You three should go. I’ll make sure Sal gets home safe.”

“Oh. Yeah,” Dinah says. She gives Cass and Helena a gentle nudge in the direction of the Victor’s Village without taking her eyes off Oliver. “Be careful, alright?”

“You too.”

Laurel is the definition of distress when the three of them arrive back to the house. She frets over Dinah and Cass, checking them for burns and bruises and any other possible injuries, while Dinah and Cass go back and forth explaining what happened. Dinah tells her mother about all of the trucks that rolled in and the chaos she and Oliver returned from the woods to find. Cass tells her about the way the peacekeepers came out of nowhere with no regard for the people of District 7. All they were there for was to destroy. Helena watches and listens to the family from a few feet away, arms crossed over her chest awkwardly. She’s taken by surprise when Laurel moves over to her the moment she’s sure neither of her kids are hurt. Helena just stands there, unsure of what to do, while the woman inspects her arms and hands and face and neck. Once Laurel seems sure Helena isn’t hurt, she brushes a little soot off of the shoulders of her jacket and turns to Dinah.

“Well, it sounds like we’ll all need to be careful for a little while. This sounds like big trouble. I’m glad you’re all okay, though.” She gives Cass a pointed look. “Don’t you have homework to do?”

“Yeah, but Mom-”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Laurel raises a hand to silence the girl. “Go upstairs and work on whatever assignments you have while I get dinner ready.” Cass groans in frustration but doesn’t argue. She kicks off her snow covered boots beside the front door and then stomps her way up the stairs dramatically.

“Would you like some help with dinner, Mrs. Lance?” Helena asks. Laurel’s eyebrows shoot up and Dinah attempts to smother a laugh with her hand.

“Helena, if I have to tell you to call me Laurel one more time I am going to lose my damn mind. Got it?” Helena opens her mouth to respond, but Laurel cuts her off. “And do not say ‘yes ma’am’ either!” 

“Got it,” Helena says sheepishly. “Would you like some help with dinner, Laurel?”

“That would be lovely,” Laurel tells her with a soft smile. She leads the way into the kitchen; Helena follows because she’s helping, and Dinah follows because she has nothing better to do. Laurel takes a small wooden box off a shelf and starts going through paper cards in it. “I have enough recipes in here for a cookbook.” She mumbles.

“Oh! Book!” Dinah shouting surprises Laurel and Helena both enough to make them jump. Dinah takes off up the stairs with a simple, “I’ll be right back.”

“That girl sure is something.” Laurel sighs. She finally finds the recipe she’s looking for and puts the rest of the cards back into the box and the box back on the shelf she got it from. Helena shrugs.

“I don’t know. I like her.” Laurel doesn’t even look up as she reads over the recipe to make sure she knows what ingredients she needs.

“Like her? Helena, you love her.”

“I- Uh.” Helena doesn’t know how to respond. She suddenly becomes very aware that she is alone in a room with Dinah’s mother, and she is not good with mothers, not even her own likes her that much. Laurel turns to face her.

“It isn’t a bad thing, honey.” Helena’s brow furrows at the term of endearment. “Any good mother wants their child to find someone who looks at them the way you look at Dinah.” Helena wonders for a moment if Laurel knows. If she’s aware that the relationship, the soon to be marriage, that her daughter is in is just for show. That it’s nothing more than an act being played out to keep people safe. Laurel seems to read her mind. “I know, Helena. I know the engagement and everything is all made up for some reason. A reason I’m sure has something to do with the President’s visit to my home a few weeks ago. It doesn’t make your love for her any less real, though. It also doesn’t change how lucky Dinah is to have someone like you so willing and ready to love her. Don’t get me wrong. I will always support Dinah in her choices and encourage her to make them best on what she needs and wants first and foremost, but I can still think that she’s lucky to have you.” Helena resists the urge to point out that she does not have Dinah, though.

“Yeah,” is what she settles on saying. Laurel sets a cutting board with a few already peeled cloves of garlic on it and a knife in front of her.

“Could you mince those?” Helena nods and does as asked. Laurel gets her own knife and cutting board out, and then she grabs a tomato and begins dicing it. “So what does your mother think of all this?”

“Uhh, well,” Helena hesitates, her knife stilling for a moment over the garlic. It causes Laurel to look over at her in concern. Everything about the tall girl makes her motherly instincts go off, and she’s been more than a little concerned that it might be for good reason. Helena goes over how to respond in her head over and over; she settles on the truth. “My mother and I haven’t spoken since my first night home after the games ended.” She goes back to mincing the garlic slowly, afraid of what the look on Laurel’s face may be. “I didn’t perform the way a career is supposed to, so I wasn’t welcome back home.” 

“Helena,” Laurel whispers.

“I mean, I get it. I knew what was expected of me, and I intentionally went against it. I expected my father would be angry.” She takes a shaky breath. “I just… didn’t expect my mom to be. I thought maybe…” A tear tries to escape her eye and Helena reaches up to brush it away quickly. “I thought my mom would hug me. Tell me she’s proud.”

“Helena,” Laurel tries again.

“Not disown me,” Helena says, voice cracking as she does. 

“Oh sweetie.” Laurel doesn’t hesitate to pull her into a tight hug. Helena melts into the embrace; she’s been waiting for a hug from a mom for so long. Laurel feels her shaking a little bit, and she thinks she might just cry, too. After all Helena has done for others, she can’t imagine how a parent could turn their back on such a compassionate person. She rubs circles on her back in an effort to bring her as much comfort as possible. “Helena, I am so proud of you,” she whispers. The words seem to have their intended effect because Helena relaxes in her arms instantly, a certain tension that only a mother could get rid of disappearing.

“Y’all alright?” Dinah’s voice has Helena jerking out of Laurel’s arms roughly, but the woman doesn’t say anything. Helena’s features shift like it’s nothing to give the illusion that she’s perfectly fine.

“Yeah. We’re all good,” she says. Dinah gives her an apprehensive look but chooses not to push it. She holds up the book Helena let her take when they were in District 2.

“I almost forgot about it, Mom. Helena said for me to give it to you when I told her how much you loved reading.” She sticks the book out across the kitchen island. Laurel grabs a hand towel to wipe any tomato juice from her hands before taking the book. She turns it over a few times and flips through the pages in awe.

“ _The Call of the Wild_? This is an old world book, is it not?” Helena nods.

“Yeah, it was recovered by the Capitol from just outside District 5. They put it up for auction. Some diplomat bought it and gifted it to my father. He doesn’t really care for literature so… it just got passed down to me.” Laurel looks completely amazed by every aspect of the book.

“Mine are all reprints. This is actually from before Panem was formed,” she whispers. She turns to Helena suddenly and sticks it out to her. “I cannot accept this, Helena.”

“You have to. I refuse to take it back.” She grins. “Seriously, I won’t ever read it again, and you’ll have so much more appreciation for it than I ever have. Please take it.” Laurel tucks it against her chest.

“Thank you. I’m going to go put this on my bedside table so I can start reading it before bed tonight.” She walks off to her room, a bit of excitement in her step, leaving Helena and Dinah alone in the kitchen. Dinah turns left and right a few times on the stool she’s sitting on as she works up the nerve to speak.

“Are you okay?” She whispers after a moment. Helena nods.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” She can’t help but smile. She feels good about things for the first time since before Pino died. Things aren’t perfect, and they could obviously be better, but she feels good. She feels wanted.

Dinner is the most enjoyable meal either of them have experienced since before the victory tour. Laurel ended up making some kind of soup. Helena had already forgotten the name of it, but she truly thought it was the best food she had eaten in a long time. There’s just something about home cooking, especially from a mom, that feels different. Laurel sentences Cass and Dinah to doing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen since Helena helped her prepare dinner, so Helena lingers just a little ways from the island. Her eyes scan the pictures on the wall. There aren’t an abundance of them, but the ones they do have hanging speak volumes about the family. There’s one of Laurel and Dinah’s dad, looking at each other with nothing but love, one of Dinah and, presumably, Oliver when they were younger, both covered in mud and looking completely happy, one of baby Dinah asleep in her father’s arms, one of- Helena’s studying is cut off by a sound that fills the open space from the kitchen all the way to the living room. It’s a laugh filled with joy and excitement. A laugh that feels so familiar. She knows it so well because it lingers in her mind and sits on her chest every single day. Helena hears her. The worst part is she knows she isn’t there, but still she hears her. She turns around, feeling like the wind has been knocked out of her for a moment, and finds Cass laughing at something Dinah has said or done. But it isn’t Cass; it’s Terra. Except that it isn’t. She rushes towards the front door of the house. She knows by the sudden silence that everyone is watching her, but she can’t look up.

“I just… I just need some air.” She pulls the door open and steps out into the cold night. It slams shut behind her, and Cass looks at Dinah with worry all over her face.

“Is Helena okay?” Dinah doesn’t really know what to say or how to explain it. Cass is pretty mature, sure, but it’s hard to explain what she’s sure just happened to someone who has never experienced it. She gives Cass’ shoulder a light squeeze and forces a smile.

“Yeah kid, she’s okay, but I’ll go check on her just in case, alright?” Cass just nods appreciatively and turns back to the dishes in the sink as her sister heads for the door. Laurel has gotten up from the couch she was sitting on and meets Dinah on her way into the kitchen.

“I’ll help finish the dishes, okay? You take care of her,” she whispers with a head tilt towards the outside. 

“Thank you.” Dinah pulls on her own jacket and grabs Helena’s off the coat rack. She slips out of the door and pulls it shut quietly behind herself. Helena is standing at the foot of the steps, arms wrapped around herself, as the snow falls in a flurry around her. The lamp posts along the sidewalks are the only things lighting the Victor’s Village in the dark. Dinah’s boots crunch in the snow on each step. Helena doesn’t look at her, but Dinah knows the girl is aware of her presence. She drapes the black leather over her shoulders in an effort to provide even a little warmth. Dinah wants to say something that will make every bad thought and feeling in Helena’s head go away. She wants to wrap her arms around her and chase away all of the bad just like Helena does for every night. She knows it’s impossible to do, though. They’ll never escape it. They’ll never get off this train. They both just stand there in the harsh cold of winter and stare ahead blankly at the snow covered ground and trees and buildings.

“I see her too,” Dinah whispers after a moment. She can’t fix everything like she wants to, but she can let Helena know that she isn’t alone. That when Cass laughs or smiles a certain way, or even sometimes when she just stands there, Dinah sees Terra. She exhales heavily. “All the time.” Helena pushes some snow around on the ground with her boot.

“She would have loved this.” Dinah thinks about how excited Terra got just at the mention of District 7’s snow falls every winter. She tilts her head to the side and rests it on Helena’s broad shoulders.

“I know.” They stand there together in silence for a while. Dinah isn’t exactly sure how long it is because she gets lost in her thoughts, too, but the moment Helena starts shaking from the cold she determines it’s time to go back inside. She reaches up and brushes some of Helena’s hair behind her ear. She pretends not to notice the way she leans into her touch. “You ready to go in?” She whispers.

“Okay,” Helena agrees, because Dinah may have asked a question, but they both know it was just a gentle nudge to avoid her having to actually tell Helena what to do. The lights downstairs are all off aside from a single lamp beside the couch when they go in. Cass and Laurel have both gone to bed already. Dinah takes Helena’s hand in hers and leads her up the stairs. The hardwood creaks beneath their feet, and the wind whistles outside. Aside from that, it’s completely silent as they get ready for bed. Helena goes into the bathroom to change into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt; Dinah puts on the warmest pants she can find in her room and an old sweater. The two of them crawl into bed together and hold each other closely. Dinah tucks her face into Helena’s neck and can’t stop herself from placing a soft kiss to it. Helena doesn’t say anything, or even make a noise, but Dinah can feel her tense for just a moment at the action and then relax. They both fall asleep not long after, ready to protect each other from any nightmares that may come looking for them. 

Helena is the first to wake up. After spending nearly her entire life waking up at sunrise to train for the entire day, it isn’t exactly a habit that goes away. She carefully slips out of Dinah’s arms in an effort to not wake her as she gets out of bed. Cass is getting ready for school in her own room, and the sound of her opening and shutting drawers can be faintly heard through the wall the rooms share. Helena throws on a simple outfit for the day, just a pair of jeans and a warm shirt that’s solid black. She opens the door to Dinah’s bedroom just as Cass is leaving her own room.

“Oh, hey Helena,” Cass says as she adjusts the straps of her backpack. Helena pulls the door shut as quietly as she can. 

“Morning Cass.” The two of them go downstairs where Laurel is sitting on the couch, a coffee mug in one hand and her new book in the other. She looks up at the two of them and smiles.

“Cass, don’t forget the homework you left on the kitchen table last night.” Cass detours over to the table to grab the small stack of papers and put them in her bag while Helena goes to join Laurel on the couch. “Be careful on your way to and from school today, alright?” Laurel calls as Cass heads for the front door.

“Yeah, I know, Mom.” Cass pulls open the door but jerks back in surprise at what’s waiting on the other side.

“Hey… Is Helena awake?” Helena looks to the door in confusion at the man’s voice. Cass steps out of the way to let him in.

“Yeah, she’s up.” Oliver steps in awkwardly, hands shoved in his coat pockets, and looks over to where Helena and Laurel are sitting.

“Thanks kid. Have a good day at school,” he tells her. Cass waves and heads out the door, unfazed by the tension in the room as she leaves. Oliver rubs the back of his neck and takes a deep breath. Helena prepares herself for some kind of threat or attack; she has no idea what to expect from him since she’s only ever interacted with him once, and it was such a brief moment. He clears his throat. “I uh. One of the guys in my group for work has gotten really, and we were already a man down after Zach’s accident at the mill.” Laurel cringes at the memory; Helena doesn’t really want to know. “So my group is out of work for the next few days while they try to find new groups to split us up into. I’m gonna head out here in a bit. Go hunting. Thought I would stop by first, though.”

“Okaaay,” Helena says, clearly confused.

“Do you want to come?” Oliver asks. “Like. With me? Do you want to come hunting with me?” Helena is taken aback by the offer. She’s well aware that Oliver and Dinah only ever hunt with each other. She also has no idea what she has to offer to him. “I thought maybe we could talk a bit.” Helena gets it, then. He’s doing one of three things: he’s going to try to intimidate her, he’s going to try and get information out of her, or he’s going to try to actually get to know her. For obvious reasons, she hopes it’s the third one. She isn’t too worried about him, though.

“Yeah, sure. Let me get my boots on and I’ll be good to go.”

It’s awkward. More so probably than either of them were expecting it to be. The whole walk to the alley Oliver and Dinah usually enter the forest from is completely silent. Both of them think about speaking to each other on several occasions along the way, yet neither of them do. They’ve never had a conversation with each other before, and all they know about each other is what Dinah has told each of them, or in Oliver’s case, what he’s also seen on TV. He pulls back the chain link fence to allow Helena to move under it, and then he follows close behind her, covering their tracks in the snow as they head for the treeline. Once they’re safely out of view of anyone in the district, he pulls a knife from his belt and holds it out to her. She hesitates for a second before taking it. He retrieves his bow while she twirls the knife in her hand, getting used to the feel of it. His own bow is hidden similar to Dinah’s, but his is in a log rather than a tree.

“So, a bow is your preferred weapon, too?” She asks when he returns with it slung over his shoulder.

“I suppose.” He shrugs. “There isn’t a whole lot to choose from around here. What about you? I know you used knives in the game, but like, are they your favorite?”

“I guess. At the academy we got trained in all kinds of shit. So like I know how to use most weapons. My highest scores were with throwing knives, a sword, and a crossbow, though. I tend to just pick knives because they’re easy to find and also nice and compact.”

“That makes sense,” he says with a nod. He leads the way through the trees since he’s the one familiar with the area. “I always wondered what the career academies were like.”

“They suck.” Helena laughs, then she gets a little more serious. “It’s all just a big show of status and loyalty to the Capitol, you know? People turn kids into monsters for the sake of glory and gold and nothing else.” Oliver nods, but then her words and her tone register to him, and he frowns.

“Wait, wait. Helena, hold on.” He stops walking and turns to her. She gives him a confused look but stops with him. “You don’t… Do you think you’re a monster?” Helena shrugs and looks away.

“A little bit.” Oliver wants to provide her with some kind of comfort or reassurance. Sure, he doesn’t like that he’s competing with someone for Dinah’s affection, but he’s seen and heard enough about Helena to know she’s no monster. He watched how she protected Terra and Dinah in the games and tried to rescue Barry and put herself on the line repeatedly for Dinah. He saw the way she was so willing to let Dinah be the lone victor. He heard plenty from Dinah while they were out hunting about how gentle and kind and understanding Helena was right from the start. He wants to tell her that those things are just a few of the signs that she isn’t a monster, but he doesn’t actually know how to get the words out of his mouth.

“Don’t let Dinah hear you say that,” he says with a laugh instead. Helena smiles and shakes her head. 

“She thinks too highly of me.” The two of them begin walking again.

“I don’t think Dinah has thought too highly of someone ever. She doesn’t like many people.” 

“I’ve noticed.” Oliver chuckles at that. He points down a small slope that isn’t too steep.

“This way. There are usually some turkeys around here.” She nods and follows him as he climbs down the slope and ducks behind a large log that’s begun to rot away over time. Helena watches quietly as he raises the bow and aims it at a turkey about 15 or 20 yards away. He draws the arrow back, takes a breath, and fires. Helena knows as soon he lets it go that it won’t hit the turkey. It misses by just a few inches. Luckily, she’s quick. Given that she’s been out of the arena so long it would be fair to think she would be out of practice, but when the knife Oliver loaned her takes the turkey down as it runs away it’s clear she hasn’t lost her touch. Oliver stands up with a whistle of appreciation. “Well damn.

“Thank you.” Oliver goes over to retrieve the turkey and the knife and then comes right back. He holds the bird up for Helena to see.

“Hell of a catch.”

“Good,” she says. “Think you’ll take it home or sell it?” He looks at her like she’s grown a second head.

“Helena, it’s yours.” 

“No.” She waves him off. “What the fuck do I need a turkey for?”

“You’re the one who killed it.”

“I’m not taking the turkey.” Oliver gives her a deadpan look. He wants to argue that if you’re the one to kill the animal, then you’re the one who reaps the benefits of it. He can see that it would be a waste of breath, though.

“You’re so stubborn,” he grumbles. Helena just smiles smugly causing him to roll his eyes. “This is much bigger than I expected to get this morning. I think I’ll just check some snares and we can head back before Dinah is even awake if that’s cool with you?”

“Works for me,” Helena responds with a shrug. Oliver drags her around the woods to check each of his snares. They fill the time with light conversation. They talk about growing up and how different their districts are and about their favorite foods and what animals they think are the coolest. As he’s resetting one of the snares, Oliver mentions how much he hates the Hunger Games. He’s somehow both surprised and not surprised that Helena shares the sentiment. In talking about it, they discover that they both resent the Capitol for everything it stands for and want to see it fall someday. By the time Oliver has checked the last of 8 snares, he’s got 3 squirrels and 2 rabbits in his game bag, plus the turkey Helena offered to carry. He makes sure he has everything reset before they head back for the fence. The silence between them as they walk is much more comfortable than when they first set out on their little hunting trip. The awkwardness is gone, and in many ways, both of them feel like they’re just on a walk with an old friend.

“Hey, Helena?” Oliver asks, breaking the silence as they near the edge of the woods.

“Yeah?”

“I want to be friends.” Helena is a little confused by the statement, but she lets him continue without interruption. “I know that whatever is between you and Dinah and whatever is between me and Dinah makes it look like we should be enemies, but I just don’t want that.”

“I don’t either,” Helena tells him. He steps over a couple large rocks to put his bow back in the log he always keeps it in. She takes a shaky breath. “I love Dinah. All I want is to protect her and for her to be happy.”

“Me too,” he whispers. She nods.

“Then it seems we’re on the same page.” He pulls back the chain link of the fence once more and gestures for her to go through first. She waits for him to get through, and they begin the walk back to the Victor’s Village. As they emerge from the alley, Oliver sees the white uniforms of the peacekeepers heading in their direction. He doesn’t hesitate to yank the turkey from Helena’s hands before they’re even spotted.

“What are you-”

“Stop!” The yell cuts off Helena’s question, and she and Oliver both stop dead in their tracks as the three peacekeepers approach. The middle one, a gruff looking older man, points at both of them. “Have you two been hunting?”

“She hasn’t done anything, sir,” Oliver answers before Helena can speak. “We just bumped into each other a moment ago and have been walking and talking.”

“Arrest him.” Helena’s head is spinning at everything that’s happening suddenly. The two other peacekeepers move to grab Oliver, and she can’t stop herself. She shoves one back violently.

“Leave him alone!” She shouts. The peacekeeper is up just as quick as he went down and tackles Helena. She attempts to throw a few punches to fight him off, but he’s much bigger than her and responds with his baton.

“Stop! Please,” Oliver shouts. The peacekeeper brings the baton down against Helena’s torso twice and then swings for her head, but she jerks away just enough that he only hits her shoulder. 

“Stop.” The head peacekeeper’s tone is firm. His subordinate gets up from the ground immediately, but he isn’t done. He turns around and catches Helena across the face with a backhand. It takes her a moment, but she sits up and spits at his feet, staining the toe of his white boots with blood.

“Fuck you,” Helena snaps. He looks prepared to hit her again, but the head reaches out and stops him with a hand to his chest.

“If she’s so insistent on causing trouble, then she might as well come along. Take them both to the square.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope yall liked this chapter and if you did then any comments would be much appreciated
> 
> also if its showing you the fuckin end notes from the first chapter as well as this one im sorry. idk why the hell it is doing that


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7800 words of hurt/comfort and angst........................ good luck yall.

Getting up early wasn’t really on Dinah’s agenda for the day, but the absence of Helena by her side makes it hard to stay asleep. She lays there staring at the ceiling blankly for what seems like an hour before she decides to get up. It doesn’t take her long to get dressed and brush her teeth, and then she’s heading downstairs to join her mom and Helena for breakfast or to watch TV or whatever it is those two might be doing. Except, when she gets down there Helena is nowhere to be found. Her mother is stretched out across the couch flipping between channels on the television, though.

“Hey Mom, where’s Helena?” She asks. Laurel glances up at the clock.

“Oliver came by about three hours ago. Said he had the day off and asked if she wanted to go hunting with him. I assume they’re either still out there or they’re running around selling the game they have.” Dinah hates that. It isn’t that she doesn’t trust the two of them or think they could get along. She just knows that, in the event they don’t get along, it won’t be pretty. They’re both strong and always ready for a fight. Dinah doesn’t really want to see the outcome of that matchup. Especially because she isn’t sure there would be a winner. She rushes to pull her boots on and grabs her favorite jacket off of the coat rack. 

“I’m gonna go see if I can catch up with them.” She doesn’t hear if her mom says anything in response because she’s already pulling the door shut and jogging down the steps. The road from the Victor’s Village towards the square doesn’t get much use, so she isn’t surprised to not see anyone until she gets closer to the center of the district where the square, Justice Building, and what used to be the market are. It’s a Monday, and the weather isn’t bad, so people should at least be outside of their houses doing laundry or feeding their chickens or anything really. She slows down a bit, suddenly wary of her surroundings. Without the noise created by her boots pounding against the pavement, Dinah can now hear the distant sound of a sharp whistle and then an impact. Her curiosity outweighs her concern over a potential Helena and Oliver fistfight, and she heads towards the sound. As she nears the square, it becomes clear that something important is going on. People are gathered all around watching whatever event is occurring. Someone grabs her as she moves closer.

“Dinah, you should go.” It’s Sal. “You being here might make things worse for them. Just go.”

“What?” The warning just makes her more determined. She starts pushing through the crowd, and they part easily for her to reach the front. In the center of the square is a large metal post. Oliver is on his knees, leaning into it, with his wrists bound at its sides. His shirt and jacket are both tossed aside on the ground leaving his mutilated and bloody back exposed. Behind him stands a peacekeeper Dinah has never seen before. She watches as he raises a whip in his hand. When he brings it back down against Oliver’s back she thinks she may collapse. But she doesn’t. She launches herself forward towards the scene.

“No! Stop!” She cries. She tries to step between the peacekeeper and Oliver, but the man just swings his arm out, punching her directly across the face and sending her to the gravel.

“Dinah,” Oliver pants. “Canary, it’s okay.” The peacekeeper takes a few steps back, and Dinah stands and steps between them again. His expression is one of amusement, but his straight nose and tightly trimmed dark grey hair makes Dinah think he always looks at least a bit pissed off.

“Move. Now.” He grits out.

“No.” He pulls his gun without hesitation and points it right at her.

“Woah, woah! Hey!” Dinah has never been so happy to see Renee as the shorter woman steps between her and the gun.

“Get the hell out of my way!” The peacekeeper shouts. Renee puts her hands up and tries to stay calm.

“You don’t want to shoot her.”

“Oh, I don’t?” The man doesn’t seem fazed by Renee’s entrance.

“Look, I get it. You’re new. You want to be taken seriously. As you should be.” Renee tells him. “But I’m trying to help you out here, buddy. I’m Renee Montoya.” She turns and gestures to Dinah. “That’s Dinah Lance. Sound familiar?” The peacekeeper’s eyes flicker with some sense of recognition, but he doesn’t lower the gun. Oliver shifts behind Dinah, drawing her attention to him. He says something, or more like groans something out, but Dinah can make it out, just barely, and her eyes shoot back to Renee and the peacekeeper in realization.

“She interfered with the punishment of criminals.” The peacekeeper says.

“I never said she was smart.” Renee tells him.

“Helena.” Dinah says, just loud enough for her mentor to catch it. “Where’s Helena?”

“Where’s the other one? The tall girl, I’m assuming?” The peacekeeper’s eyes narrow at the question.

“Bring her forward!” He shouts. Another peacekeeper pushes through the crowd behind him, dragging Helena by her arms. She has several small cuts and bruises along her arms, but she doesn’t look to be in too bad of shape. She fights against the peacekeeper’s hold as he pulls her towards the center of the square.

“Listen,” Renee tells the commander. “It’s bad enough that you’ve marked up Dinah’s poor face when she has a photoshoot coming up for her wedding dresses. You’ve also got Helena Bertinelli roughed up and pissed off, and you have a gun in my face. I promise you President Sionis does not want three victors beaten to a pulp or dead.” She turns to look at Oliver and then back at the man. “You already got a good amount of lashes in, right? If you can let this one go, then we will too.” The peacekeeper seems to deliberate in his head for a moment. 

“Alright,” he says angrily. He lowers the gun and gives a short nod to the peacekeeper beside him. The man shoves Helena to the ground and then kicks her directly in the ribs. Dinah doesn’t hesitate to drop to her knees beside her as she curls up on the ground. The head peacekeeper steps closer to Renee, getting right in her face. “But next time? I’m going to personally assemble the firing squad.”

“Excellent idea, Commander.” Renee says.

“I don’t care who she is.” He turns to face the crowd, anger set in his face. “Clear the square! District 7 is now under curfew! If anyone is caught outside past dark, you will be shot on sight!” He yells. The crowd begins to disperse immediately. He turns back to Renee. “Get them the fuck out of here.” He wipes the blood off of the whip before coiling it up and heading into the Justice Building. The rest of the peacekeepers follow behind him. Sal and a group of people who know Oliver from work rush forward. Two of them are carrying a long wooden board together. Dinah looks back and forth between Oliver and Helena, unsure what to do, but Helena reaches out with one hand to push her towards him.

“Him first.” Dinah hesitates at the way she coughs the words out, but Renee gestures for her to move and takes her place next to Helena. Two people each cut Oliver’s hands free from the post, and then with the help of Sal, Dinah, and two others, they carefully move him so that he’s lying face down on the wooden board. Sal and the four workers from the mill lift Oliver and the board with ease.

“Dinah, they’ve got him. Help me with her.” Renee says. Dinah rushes to help her lift Helena to her feet.

“I can walk.” Helena grumbles.

“Shut up.” Dinah says, tears welling in her eyes. “Just… let us.” Dinah listens as Sal and the workers piece together the story of what happened while they rush to Dinah’s house so her mother can tend to Oliver. They killed a turkey while out together, and Oliver was the one holding it when the peacekeepers came upon them. Nobody is sure exactly what happened, and Helena is too in and out of it to explain, but there was a scuffle involving them and the peacekeepers, and by the end of it they were both being dragged to the square. Dinah feels sick when Sal reveals that Helena was sentenced to the same lashing that Oliver received; hers just didn’t come since Dinah and Renee intervened when they did.

“I don’t know where the old head went, but I’m assuming there isn’t much good in store for him.” One of the people carrying Oliver says.

“There probably isn’t much good in store for any of us,” Renee mumbles. One of the workers rushes forward to open the door to the house as they near the steps. He yells for Laurel as they bring Oliver and Helena in. 

“Over here. Get him here.” Laurel orders, shoving a few books off of the kitchen table and moving the plant on it over to the kitchen island. Cass starts gathering different supplies and setting them aside. They carefully move Oliver off of the board and onto the now cleared table. Dinah lets go to rush to his side, and Renee helps Helena over to the couch.

“What happened?” Laurel asks.

“New head peacekeeper means business.” Sal tells her. She nods, not really needing much answer. She takes a bottle of alcohol and pours it over the various cuts. Oliver moans in back and jerks up, having to be forced back down by his coworkers.

“He needs morphling.” Laurel starts digging through her various medicines and glances up at Cass. “Get a snow coat started, okay?” Cass nods and grabs a bowl to take outside and fill up with snow. Laurel holds up the bottle she seems to need and fills up a syringe with the clear medicine. Dinah feels like it’s taking too long. Oliver is suffering and it’s like everyone is just standing there.

“Hurry up!” She snaps, desperation getting the best of her. “Help him!” Laurel looks up at her older daughter with a glare.

“Get out of here. I can’t have you distracting me.” Dinah goes to argue, but Laurel is not having it. She knows the easiest way to get her daughter to let her work in peace. “Go check on Helena for me.” All complaints leave Dinah’s mind at that point. She’s stressed and worried, but she knows her mom and Cass are capable of taking care of Oliver. He’s in the best possible hands. She turns and heads for the living room. Renee is sat in the armchair next to the couch with her flask while Helena is laid out across the length of the couch with her eyes shut. Dinah feels panic well up in her and rushes to the side of the couch. She drops down to her knees and reaches a hand out to touch Helena’s cheek. The girl’s brown eyes flutter open at the feeling.

“Mm. Hey Dinah,” she mumbles. Dinah relaxes a bit. It wasn’t that she actually thought Helena had died (she knew Renee wouldn’t let that happen on her watch), but she couldn’t help the thought crossing her mind for a split second. Her hand finds its way up to comb through Helena’s hair while she maneuvers her legs to sit comfortably on the floor.

“How do you feel?” 

“Tired.” Oliver cries out in pain from the kitchen. “Should have been me.” Dinah’s hand stills.

“Don’t say that.” Helena just smiles softly.

“Okay.” She tilts her head to the side to look at Dinah. “Can I sleep?”

“Yeah, get some rest, H.” Dinah goes back to running her fingers through the girl’s short hair. It doesn’t take more than a minute for Helena to drift off. The moment she’s sure Helena is fast asleep, Dinah lets the tears flow. She cries for Oliver, and then for Helena, and then for both of them. Over and over. She has no reason to believe the new head peacekeeper being so brutal has anything to do with her; the old one was a source of many problems and probably gave the Capitol plenty of reasons to remove him from the position. She still finds herself feeling guilty for the bloody and battered bodies on her kitchen table and couch. Renee gets up, reaches over to give a light squeeze to Dinah’s shoulder, and then goes to check on the chaos of the kitchen. Oliver’s coworkers have trickled out of the house as they became more sure he would be okay. Sal is the last to leave, and he assures Laurel that he’ll go straight to Oliver’s house to let his mother and sisters know what’s going on. Dinah isn’t sure how long it has been, maybe hours, maybe not even one, when her mom sits down on the coffee table across from the couch. She gives a sympathetic smile to Dinah.

“How is she?” She asks. Dinah wipes any possible tears from her face, taking a shaky breath as she does so.

“She’s been sleeping for awhile. I don’t really know how bad it is.” Laurel nods and leans in to Helena a little. She reaches out to gently shake Helena’s shoulder. Dinah watches closely as Helena’s brow furrows and her face scrunches up as she groans.

“Helena, honey, I need you to wake up,” Laurel says. “We gotta make sure you aren’t hurt too bad.” Helena opens her eyes slowly; the usually bright brown irises are glazed over in pain and confusion. She goes to shift her whole body, but the movement makes things worse, and she wraps her arms protectively around herself. Laurel looks over towards the kitchen where Cass and Renee are reorganizing the supplies that were tossed around while helping Oliver. “Cass, will you bring me a pair of scissors?” She looks back down at Helena. “I’m going to have to cut your shirt off of you to see what’s wrong, okay?”

“Here you go, Mom.” Laurel turns around to take the scissors from Cass. Dinah wants to help, but she doesn’t know how. She isn’t very good at the medical stuff; in fact, she really doesn’t know anything. Laurel gets down on her knees next to Helena and grabs the edge of her black shirt and glides the scissors up through it with no problem. When she pulls the fabric back, Dinah is sure she’s going to pass out. Helena’s entire left side is various shades of blue purple. The peacekeepers might as well have run her over with one of their trucks. Helena sees the look on Dinah’s face and frowns.

“Fuck, is it bad?”

“Well, it isn’t good.” Renee pipes up from the chair she’s inhabiting once again. Dinah shoots her a glare and takes Helena’s hand in hers.

“You’ll be okay.” She tells her. Laurel looks back to Cass who is still standing close by.

“Can you bring me the bruise salve and then combine the herbs we use for inflammation and the ones for pain?” Cass nods and heads to the kitchen to gather the supplies. Dinah watches as her mother reaches down, and then she looks away quickly as she moves her hand to feel along Helena’s side and up her ribs. Helena squeezes her eyes shut and clenches her jaw, biting back any noise she wants to make. Dinah just sits there holding tight to her with one hand and using her other to play with Helena’s hair. She feels helpless. Anytime Helena has been hurt she has no choice but to sit back and watch her suffer. Laurel pulls back with a frown.

“It seems it’s all just bad bruising. You may have a broken rib or two, but it’s so hard to tell for sure. We don’t have the technology the Capitol, or even just some of the richer districts, have to get a definitive answer.” She reaches out as Cass approaches for her to place a metal canister in her hand. “Dinah and I are going to move you upstairs to bed and then apply this salve. Once you’re in bed, no leaving it without someone close by to help.” Laurel and Dinah help Helena struggle to her feet, and then they carefully guide her up the stairs to Dinah’s room. It’s slow and tedious, but they manage to get her there without too much pain. They ease her down into the bed before Laurel goes about gently rubbing the salve along every bruised area. Dinah doesn’t know what to do as she stands to the side awkwardly, so she settles for just staring out the bedroom window. The sun will be setting before too long.

“Dinah?” She snaps out of it, having not realized how long she must have been staring off. Her mom has stood up from the side of the bed, and Helena is asleep once again. “Did you hear me?”

“No, sorry. What did you say?”

“I said that I don’t expect you to do much sleeping. I imagine you’ll want to spend some time down there with Oliver, but when you do finally come back here to sleep just be very careful getting in and out of the bed so you don’t jostle her too much, okay?” Dinah nods. “I’m leaving the salve up here. We can keep an eye and see how much we need to use it as we go… They’ll both be okay, Dinah. I promise.” Laurel pulls her into a tight hug. They stand there for a few minutes together in each other’s arms before pulling apart. The two of them head back downstairs. Renee asks if there’s anything they need before heading home with a promise to be back tomorrow. Dinah sits down in one of the chairs at the table next to Oliver with no intention of moving for quite a while. Laurel throws something simple together for dinner while Cass does her homework. Overall, the night flies by with little excitement once Helena and Oliver are both passed out. Laurel sets Cass’ herbal concoction on the kitchen counter and gives Dinah quick instructions on how to mix it into a tea when Helena wakes up, and then she heads to bed for the night. 

Alone in the kitchen with Oliver, the entire downstairs lit by only the fireplace and two lamps, Dinah finds herself looking at him in a way she hasn’t felt she could since returning home from the games. She traces his eyebrows mindlessly before dragging her fingers down his jawline and against his neck, then towards his mouth where she faintly brushes her thumb along his slightly chapped lips. He looks just as he did years ago when they first met. After so many moments in the woods hunting and setting traps, hiking through meadows, swimming in the lake, sharing small and simple meals as they watch the water flow through the creek and listen to the mockingjays sing from branches above… Dinah can’t imagine how they got to this place. There’s so much in her life that Dinah doesn’t understand, but as Oliver lays there on the table in dim light of the kitchen, she knows one thing for certain: Oliver is hers just as she is his. She leans forward and kisses him softly. His eyelashes flutter, and he makes a content sound that’s barely even audible.

“Hey Canary,” he whispers. 

“Hey Ollie.” Dinah tilts her head a little as she looks at him. “Why?” She isn’t sure what she’s really asking. Why he was on that post, why he loves her, why things had to be like this… the possibilities are endless. Oliver just makes a quick guess at what she’s asking him through the haze of opiates.

“Because she would have done the same for me. And we both would have done the same for you.” Dinah drops her hand to her side. Somehow, the answer surprises her. The implication that the two people who love her are hurt because they were trying to protect each other settles in her mind like a weight. Oliver doesn’t even notice her instant shift in mood, though. “Thought you’d be gone by now.” Dinah shakes herself out of it at his words. She can’t leave. There’s so much to consider, to discuss, but after yesterday she knows she wants to fight back. Even if she marries Helena, how could she ever truly protect the people she cares for. At some point, she’ll have to turn back and face what’s so insistent on causing her pain. She offers him a smile.

“No, I’m gonna stay right here. Cause all kinds of trouble.”

“Me too,” he breathes out, just before the drugs pull him right back under.

When Dinah wakes up the next morning it’s still dark out. There’s a faint throbbing to her cheek where she was hit yesterday, but it isn’t bad enough that it bothers her. She fell asleep, face resting on her left arm on the table. The fingers of her right hand are tightly interlocked with Oliver’s despite him essentially being dead to the world. The creak of the hardwood floor has her lifting her head and turning around, expecting to find Cass or her mom, but instead Helena is standing there. There’s no way to describe her expression except sad.

“You love him,” Helena whispers. She isn’t angry, not in the slightest. Her tone is understanding, a little bit heartbroken, resigned even, but not angry. Never angry. Dinah wants to tell her she’s wrong, but Helena just shakes her head and forces a smile. “It’s okay. I just want you to be happy, Dinah.” She stands and walks over to pull Helena into her arms without hesitation. Helena melts into the embrace as Dinah buries her face in her neck. Dinah squeezes a little too tightly, and Helena hisses in pain.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. She can’t stop hurting her. She needs Helena to know how sorry she is that she’s always hurting her. She wants to love her. She does love her. She wants to be in love with her. She never wants to cause her pain again. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Helena whispers. “I promise.” Dinah pulls back and examines the taller girl more closely. There’s a cut and a bit of bruising near her eye on the side of her face, and every breath she takes is shallow and seems pained.

“What are you doing out of bed?” Helena shifts awkwardly.

“I came to check on you.” Dinah feels herself deflate at the statement. Helena, even when hurt and in pain, always prioritizes taking care of and protecting her. And how does she repay her? She looks into Helena’s eyes, so sure and determined and okay with everything, and she feels like she’s been thrown back into the games. It’s like standing there as the sun rises and watching Helena drop her knives in surrender. Watching Helena smiles when she tells her that she doesn’t want to hurt her. She’s never wanted to hurt her. _You won’t. It’s okay._ Dinah thinks she might be sick. “Go back to bed and lay down. I’m gonna get some snow for Oliver, and then I’ll be right up, okay?” Helena’s eyes narrow for a second like she knows something is wrong, but she doesn’t push it. 

“Okay,” she whispers, before turning and heading back up the stairs. Dinah grabs the bowl Cass used yesterday to make the snow coat and rushes out the front door into the cold. Standing inside that house between the two of them, between two people she always feels like she’s hurt, between two people she doesn’t want to have to pick from, between two people who she knows she needs both of, isn’t something she can do for another moment. The wind is whipping violently as even more snow falls, a clear sign of bad weather to come. She finds one of many patches of clean snow and starts shovelling it into the large bowl. She tries to focus on something, anything else, but she keeps thinking about how, no matter what, she will end up hurting one of them. She hears the front door shut, and then shuffling as someone walks towards her. Cass kneels down beside her. 

“Hey,” Dinah says.

“Mom says to get your ass inside. A blizzard is coming.” Dinah snorts.

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” She keeps shovelling the snow into the bowl, more angrily now, though. She told herself she wouldn’t make Cass hear any of this or know about any of it because she’s just a kid. But Cass is smart and almost definitely has a good idea of the things going on, so Dinah gives up on trying to shield her. She knows the kid doesn’t want that anyway. “How can we keep living like this? How is anyone supposed to live like this?”

“We aren’t living.” Cass concedes. “Things are… different, though. Like since the last games? I’ve seen it.” Dinah stops and looks at her.

“What have you seen?” The answer comes from Cass easily and without hesitation.

“Hope.” Dinah looks back down at the snow.

“You know whatever I do will come back to you and Mom right? To Helena? To Oliver? To Renee? To Ivy and Harley? To everyone we care about?”

“Dinah, you don’t have to protect us… We’re with you. All the way.” Dinah feels a weight from her shoulders disappear almost instantaneously. She pulls Cass into a hug.

“I love you, kid.”

“I love you, too.” Cass takes the now filled bowl of snow from her. “I went ahead and mixed the herbs into some tea for Helena. I can take this in and make a new snow coat for Oliver if you want to take it up to her?”

“Thank you,” she whispers with a nod. The two of them head back into the house together. Cass heads straight into the kitchen to get started on the fresh snow coat while Dinah grabs the ceramic mug with tea and heads for the staircase. Laurel exits her room just in time to see her heading up and waves. Dinah waves back with her free hand. Neither of them say anything because there isn’t much to be said. A blizzard means school will be cancelled at least for today, so Cass will be around to help Dinah and Laurel watch over both Helena and Oliver. The stress of yesterday isn’t gone at all, but it isn’t at the forefront of anyone’s mind. Helena is sitting on the edge of the bed, gritting her teeth as she tries to put on a clean shirt, when Dinah walks in.

“Hey, hey,” Dinah whispers, rushing over and putting her hands on Helena’s arms. “Stop before you hurt yourself.” Helena huffs in frustration.

“I just wanted to get a warmer shirt on.” Dinah nods and turns to her dresser. She has to dig through the drawers for a moment, but eventually she finds what she’s looking for. She pulls her dad’s old black and grey flannel out and turns back to Helena.

“Let’s try this, okay? It’s got buttons, so you don’t have to raise your arms or anything to pull it on.” Helena doesn’t offer any argument or look bothered by the idea, so Dinah helps guide her long arms through each of the sleeves. She pushes Helena’s hands away when they move to the buttons. “I’ve got you.” Dinah goes to clasp the first button, but something catches her gaze. There’s a jagged stretch of raised skin along Helena’s side. It’s obvious against her pale skin. Dinah can’t help but be confused. All of her scars were removed in the Capitol following the games. The fact that they would leave such an obvious one on Helena doesn’t make any sense.

“President Sionis requested it.” Helena tells her. Dinah looks up, confused at first, but then it clicks. Helena saw the wheels turning in her head, followed her gaze to the scar, and she answered the question hanging between them. “At least that’s what Harley said. That Sionis specifically asked that all my scars be left how they are.”

“All? So-”

“Yeah,” Helena says. Dinah swallows, guilt building up in her throat like bile. Helena is being made to pay for Dinah’s actions. Sionis specifically requested that Helena be left permanently scarred so that she’ll forever be trapped with the memories of all the pain she had to endure in the games. Dinah wonders how she looks in the mirror some days. It isn’t that she’s any less gorgeous, because she isn’t. She’s attractive with or without the scars. To see them, though, and to be reminded of where they came from, can’t be an easy thing to see every day. Dinah holds her breath and fastens each button from the bottom of the flannel up to the top. When she’s finished, she retrieves the mug that she sat on the bedside table and holds it out for Helena, who eyes it suspiciously.

“Is this another attempt of yours to knock me out?” Dinah laughs awkwardly.

“No, I just want you to feel better.” She frowns. “It may knock you out, though. I have no idea what’s in that. My mom is the one who decided it’s what you need.” Helena shrugs and takes a sip. Dinah assumes it doesn’t taste too terrible since she finishes it with only a little bit of complaining along the way. Dinah helps guide her to lay down and then walks around to the other side of the bed where she gets in next to the injured girl. She’s careful as she pulls Helena’s body into hers, not wanting to cause her any extra pain but still wanting to hold her close. They’re both fast asleep in no time.

The blizzard doesn’t let up for several days. Dinah passes the time by going back and forth between helping tend to and watch over Oliver and Helena. She helps make and apply snow coat for Oliver, holds his hand while he sleeps, and talks to him for the few minutes at a time he’s awake. She delivers herbal concoctions for pain and swelling to Helena, applies the bruise salve when needed, and holds her while she sleeps to keep her from trying to leave bed. Laurel keeps a watchful eye, checking in on both of them almost hourly during the day. Cass draws in her sketchbook and helps out wherever she’s needed. It takes coaxing from Dinah and Laurel both to get Oliver and Helena to eat when they’re awake. When both of them are asleep, Dinah, Laurel, and Cass will make hot chocolate and talk around the fire or watch whatever they can find on the TV or play a board game or do just about anything they can think of to pass the time. Renee calls at least once a day to check in, mostly on Dinah and Helena, but she does ask about everyone else from time to time. She gets more irritable as her alcohol supply begins to run low.

Dinah finds herself thinking about rebellion more and more with each passing day. She tries to think of everything she saw on those screens on the train and figure out how the people of District 8 managed to put such an uprising together. District 7 isn’t small, in fact Dinah thinks it may be bigger than District 8, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. She doesn’t even know if she wants to lead such a fight. Sure, she incited the uprisings, but to lead one requires courage and poise that she’s not sure she has. The thought crosses her mind that Helena would be better at it, but she isn’t sure she could ever bring herself to ask that of the girl.

A week passes before the storm has moved out for the most part. There are still periods of a few hours every other day or so where the snow and wind picks up and it isn’t safe to go out, but they can easily be avoided. Helena has already started going stir crazy, and Dinah is convinced if she doesn’t let her out of the house for at least a little bit she’ll end up having to break up a fight between the girl and Laurel. It takes nearly an hour of bartering, but Dinah finally gets her mom to agree to letting Helena go for a walk with her. She calls Renee and invites her along; it’s less of an invitation and more of a request, but Renee uses it as an excuse to go buy more alcohol. They walk down the path from the Victor’s Village leading into the heart of the district slowly for Helena’s sake. Nobody says anything until Dinah decides to break the silence.

“I want to start an uprising.” Helena’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and Renee barks out a loud laugh.

“Good luck with that one, sweetheart.”

“I’m serious.”

“Dinah,” Helena tries. “This is… I don’t know if it’s a good idea.” Dinah wants to get angry with her, but when she turns to her and sees the stiffness in the girl’s posture and the cut and bruise still somewhat visible on her cheek, she’s reminded that nobody in District 7 knows the price of rebellion like Helena and Oliver now do. 

“Then what are we supposed to do?” She asks.

“Stick to the plan. That’s what we’re supposed to do.” Renee tells her. “I know you don’t like it. I don’t like it. But what you’re talking about? It won’t work. I called and had your photoshoot with the wedding dresses rescheduled because of the blizzard and the… you know. You’ll do the photoshoot. The people of the Capitol will vote for their favorite dress. You’ll wear it down the aisle. And somehow, we will find a way to carry on. This is the way we all survive, Dinah.”

They shut up as they approach the square. More people are out around it than anywhere else in the district, so talking anymore about uprisings and rebellion would be a stupid move. The three of them all freeze as they round the corner. It’s as if the amount of peacekeepers in 7 has doubled; they’re all in pristine uniforms marching around with their guns at the ready. The wooden post Oliver was tied to has been replaced with a real and official whipping post. As if that weren’t enough, a gallows has been built just down the block, and the side of the road to it is lined with stockades. There are sniper nests set up on the top of the Justice Building for two peacekeepers to watch over everything from. The three of them continue walking down the road, but when everyone who looks their way immediately heads in the opposite direction they figure it’s best not to test any limits. Renee goes off to find someone who will sell any kind of liquor to her while Dinah and Helena head back home. When they tell Laurel about the square’s new decor all she can do is shake her head.

Things only get worse over the following weeks. The mills and lumber yards are all shut down until further notice, meaning nobody is getting paid. If nobody gets paid, nobody can buy food, and everyone begins to starve. It seems like every child in the district is signing up for tesserae, including both of Oliver’s sisters. The square sees more than enough punishments dished out as people become more and more desperate to feed their families. Any thought of rebellion is snuffed out, and Dinah doesn’t mention it any further. Not even to Oliver once he’s up and moving around. He goes home as soon as Laurel gives the okay. Dinah wants to feel hurt that he doesn’t tell her goodbye before leaving, but he does so while she’s lying in Helena’s arms upstairs in bed, so she understands why he doesn’t. It seems like every day another person stumbles into her home begging Laurel for some kind of remedy for their sickness, but medicine can only do so much where food is the cure. Oliver and Dinah both want to hunt to make sure people are fed, but neither of them would dare step into the woods in the current state of the district. Dinah considers going, though, to say goodbye when the wooden crate of wedding dresses arrives at her home. Renee and Laurel both warn her away from it with glares and shakes of their heads. 

The dresses have all been hand designed by Ivy, but the note from Zatanna at the top of the crate says President Sionis himself approved each of them. It doesn’t make sense to Dinah. She was sure that her fate was sealed, but if Sionis plans to kill her then why would he carry on with the wedding plans? She goes through each dress slowly, never taking them out of the crate, just lifting them each for enough confirmation that they’re a pristine white. The same shade as peacekeeper uniforms and the pillars of the Presidential Palace and the roses so commonly associated with President Sionis himself. They’re probably all beautiful, but they’re all so very white like a coat of paint over something sinister. The dresses are just a sign of Dinah’s future being taken away and the hope of the districts going right with it. 

“I’m sorry,” Helena whispers from beside her. They’re sitting on the couch together while Cass and Laurel joke around and make lunch in the kitchen. Dinah lets the perfectly folded dresses slip from her fingers and land neatly back on top of each other in the crate before turning to face her.

“No, Helena. Don’t you dare.” Dinah can see the way she’s shutting down. She’s desperate to stop it. To somehow make sure Helena knows it isn’t her fault. To make sure Helena knows that marrying her is not what feels like a death sentence to Dinah. That nothing about Helena is what keeps her up with nightmares every night. Helena just shakes her head.

“You should have killed me in the arena.”

“No!” Dinah shouts, standing up suddenly. A knife clatters against the counter in the kitchen as Cass and Laurel’s attention is drawn to the pair by Dinah’s outburst. “Don’t say shit like that!”

“Tell me I’m wrong then!” Helena snaps back. “Tell me your life wouldn’t be so much simpler if I had died in there!”

“Maybe I don’t want simple.” Dinah can feel her heart racing, but she can’t place whether it’s because of anger or something else. Helena casts her eyes downward.

“You should.” Dinah sighs and lowers herself back onto the couch next to Helena.

“Helena, if I could go back to that moment knowing the things I do now… I wouldn’t do anything differently.” Helena scoffs at the statement like she doesn’t believe it in the slightest. Dinah reaches out to grab her chin and gently guide her to meet her gaze. “No more lying to each other, remember?” Helena opens her mouth to respond, but the front door swinging open interrupts whatever response she has.

“Where are my victors?” Zatanna calls with a melodic tone. Her question is answered easily when she looks to her right to find the pair on the couch. She practically skips over to them while Dinah’s prep team and a photographer come in behind her. “Oh, how I’ve missed the two of you.” Helena hates the way Dinah’s face shifts in an instant. She looks overjoyed and excited to be doing the bridal photoshoot, but Helena knows she isn’t. She likes when Dinah is sincere and authentic and herself; she doesn’t want her to fake her emotions for the cameras all the time. Zatanna shoos her off while they do the photoshoot. Something about how seeing the wedding dress before the wedding day is bad luck. Helena doesn’t really care. How much worse can things really get, anyway? She heads upstairs without complaint to go help Cass with her homework, though.

The prep team gushes over Dinah while they do her hair and makeup. They go on and on about how lovely she’ll look in each gown and how they can’t wait to see what outfits Ivy has in mind for District 7’s next tribute. It’s an odd thought to Dinah, that Ivy would design for anyone but her. The phone in her house doesn’t get any use other than when she calls Renee or Ivy. The stylist and her have made it a habit to check in at least every other week and see how each other are doing. The calls had been weekly when Dinah revealed that Helena was hurt. She didn’t dare tell Ivy about the whipping out of fear her phone has been tapped, but she’s almost positive Ivy didn’t buy the story about Helena tripping on a patch of ice. Luckily, she never pressed for the real cause of the injuries. Ivy is much more open when the entire team isn’t around. She can spend what feels like hours talking about Harley. They’ve gotten an apartment together and have apparently become very serious about their relationship since the end of the games. Dinah is happy for them. Truly.

“Where’s the ol’ string bean?” A thick accent calls from the doorway. Dinah turns around, happy for the interruption of her prep team’s Quarter Quell discussion.

“She’s been banished upstairs.” Dinah tells Harley. The blonde doesn’t waste any time in bouncing her way up the staircase to harass her tribute. Ivy waltzes over to where the team is filing Dinah’s nails and finishing up her eyeliner.

“You look gorgeous as always, darling.” She looks at the members of the prep team. “Could you all help Zatanna get the photographer set up however he needs?” The prep team scurries away happily. Once they’re gone, Ivy leans against the armchair and lowers her voice. “We’ve been worried about you both.”

“We’re okay.” Dinah assures her.

“I know, but we’ve heard how bad the ice in the districts has been. It’s apparently kept the people of 8 and 3 out of the factories; we haven’t had many shipments of textiles or technology to the Capitol lately. Crazy how much damage ice can do, huh?” Dinah narrows her eyes at the woman. If she’s saying what Dinah thinks she’s saying… 

“It’s been a hard winter.” Ivy tilts her head and smiles, glad Dinah seems to have gotten her message.

“That it has.” Zatanna summons them down the hall to the office where a backdrop has been raised up and bright lights have been placed methodically around the room. The prep team helps Dinah switch in and out of dresses at a fast pace; there are six of them to be voted on by the people of the Capitol. Dinah doesn’t ever even have a chance to look in a mirror to form her own opinion of the dresses. She’s shuffled in front of the camera repeatedly, positioned however the photographer demands, and then they move onto the next dress. She feels like the clay back at Helena’s home in 2, always being shaped and pushed and reshaped. She would prefer to be Helena’s clay over the Capitol’s dress up doll. At least with Helena the beauty would be real, and the hands would be gentle.

By the time the shoot is over, evening is falling on District 7. Zatanna rounds up the prep team and photographer and essentially pushes them out the door before turning back to give Dinah and Helena both hugs and kisses on the cheeks. Helena is almost entirely healed, but she still feels stiff and sore from time to time. It’s why she has to try to hide a wince of pain when Zatanna gives her a hard squeeze. Harley and Ivy must see and make note of it, because they both have much lighter touches with the girl than usual when they go to hug her goodbye. Everyone gets their farewells out of their systems, and then they head out to the car that will deliver them back to the train station.

The four of them, Dinah, Helena, Laurel, and Cass, go through their nights like it’s been just a regular day. They eat dinner together, and then Cass does her homework while Dinah and Helena clear the table and do the dishes. Cass gets done early, so she turns on John Constantine’s show on the TV. Helena and Dinah only pay attention enough to keep up conversation with Cass about what’s going on, but most of their attention is spent looking at one another and then looking away quickly when they notice each other staring. They’re both well aware that they’re doing the exact same thing, but it doesn’t stop the blushes from creeping up their cheeks. Laurel ignores all three of them and the TV in favor of the book Helena gave her. When John closes out his show with a reminder of the required program on Friday for all of Panem, Laurel sends everyone off to bed. 

Dinah and Helena could stay up if they wanted, but they don’t need to, so they just head straight for Dinah’s room to settle into each other’s arms. With the arrival of spring came less need for warm clothes, so Helena opts to sleep in basic short sleeved shirts and tank tops. They show off the defined muscles of her arms and shoulders, but they also give a perfect view of every single scar marring her skin. Dinah goes back and forth between tracing each pale pink line on whatever arm is wrapped around her and slowly dragging her knuckles down Helena’s ribs. She tries to use all she knows about Oliver to imagine how it would feel to have a similarly intimate moment with him. Tries to imagine how his arms would feel wrapped around her and if his body would be warmer or colder than Helena’s as she rests against it. Tries to imagine how his skin would feel under the pads of her fingertips and if he would tense and be covered in goosebumps with each touch the way Helena is. Tries to imagine how he would smell and how his heartbeat would sound against her ear and if her face would fit into the crook of his neck just as well. And when she just can’t imagine anything that quite compares to the moments in her bed with Helena, she does feel guilty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if yall wanna leave comments i think that could be very fun and cool. i will use them as motivation to complete my school assignments and finish the next chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome back! or if this is the first time you're reading this fic then just welcome in general i guess.
> 
> this chapter really is the start of my favorite part of catching fire. so im a couple chapters ahead in writing because i got excited dhfvldfh. we will be done with the events of catching fire by the end of chapter 13 isnt that wild? things are gonna be crazy from here on out lmaoooo.
> 
> happy reading!

There’s plenty of debate in the Lance household leading up to Friday regarding what will be on TV that all of Panem must be subject to. Helena and Cass arrange a bet over it. Cass is predicting they’ll be showing the results of Dinah’s photoshoot for the final round of voting in the Capitol; Helena thinks it will be a propaganda film about the original rebellion since there hasn’t been a new one in quite some time. Dinah doesn’t join the bet or even voice her opinion, but she’s sure it’s going to be live executions or torture to send a message across all of the districts that even the thought of revolution will not be tolerated. Laurel doesn’t give an opinion really. She mostly just nods along when Helena or Cass make a good point or immediately tells them why they’re wrong when she absolutely does not agree with a theory. It turns out that, technically, none of them are correct. Cass gets the closest because the photos of Dinah in wedding dresses are all broadcast behind John Constantine on his show just before the mandatory viewing time. John reminds the people of the Capitol to cast their votes by whatever date, and then he closes out his show by telling everyone to stay tuned for the reading of the Quarter Quell card.

“What’s that?” Cass asks. She’s sitting in the armchair sideways with her legs propped up on the arm of it while Dinah, Helena, and Laurel inhabit the couch.

“They have a card for every Quarter Quell locked away in the Capitol. When the Quarter Quell comes around, they bring out the box for the year and read it aloud to reveal what sick twist will be on the games for the year.” Laurel explains. Dinah and Helena are both silent and unmoving. They know whatever is on that card will greatly affect how they have to mentor their tributes for the year. 

The seal of Panem appears on the screen as the anthem plays, and then it fades out to reveal the center of the Capitol where the tribute parade occurs each year. President Sionis walks up to his podium to the applause of every Capitol citizen in attendance. Dinah feels revolted every time she looks at him and the white rose in the chest pocket of his suit. He has a small golden box with the number 75 engraved on it in his gloved hands. He sets it on the podium to raise his hand, signalling to the crowd to quiet. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the 75th year of the Hunger Games.” He sounds proud of the fact. Dinah reaches over for Helena’s hand, unclenching the girl’s fist to lock their fingers together tightly. “And it was written in the charter of the games, that every 25 years, there would be a Quarter Quell to remind each new generation of those who died in the uprising against the Capitol.” Dinah can’t help but think about how formal and proper he sounds when he speaks to all of Panem, but alone with her in the small office of her home he was so casual and demeaning. “Each Quarter Quell is distinguished by games of a special significance. On the 25th anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it. On the 50th anniversary, as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes.”

“That’s the year Renee won, isn’t it?” Cass asks. Laurel is the one to confirm it for her since Dinah and Helena are focused only on the man on screen.

“And now on this the 75th anniversary of our defeat of the rebellion, we celebrate the third Quarter Quell.” Sionis opens the box and slides out an off white card. He looks at it briefly, and then reads it to the cameras and crowd. “As a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of victors in each district.” Laurel begins to sob the moment he has said the words. Cass looks to Dinah and Helena in confusion, hoping one of them can supply an explanation, can tell her it means something other than what she thinks it means. Helena is completely frozen, but Dinah’s body reacts before her mind can even catch up, and she runs straight out the front door.

“Victors shall present themselves on Reaping Day regardless of age, state of health, or situation.” President Sionis continues on screen. “In the event that a district does not have both a male and female victor, or only has two victors, they may decide to either both go into the arena with a Capitol appointed mentor or to only send one victor in while the other acts as mentor. If the victors decide to only send one of them in, they forfeit the ability to volunteer on Reaping Day.” Helena gets up at that and heads out the door just as Dinah did. She has a different destination in mind, though. 

She walks across the Victor’s Village and up the steps of Renee’s house. She doesn’t bother with knocking; she just turns the knob and heads right in. Renee is sat in a brown leather recliner across from a broken television. Shards of glass are scattered all over the hardwood and the rug. Renee doesn’t even bother looking up at her.

“You don’t look too enthused.” She mumbles.

“Neither do you.” Helena says, throwing her a deadpan look. “I want to talk.”

“Then talk, kid.” Helena can tell from the tone in her voice that Renee already knows why she’s come over. She goes to speak, but the words get trapped in her throat. To talk about it makes it feel more real, and she doesn’t want for it to be real. She has to do this, though. She takes a shaky breath to compose herself.

“How do we save her?” She asks, voice quiet and broken sounding. Renee sighs and pulls herself out of the chair.

“I don’t know that we can.” She steps up onto her wood coffee table and walks across it to avoid having to navigate the broken bottle on the ground. “Come this way.” She gestures for Helena to follow her into the kitchen. Helena watches patiently and in silence while Renee digs around her near-barren liquor cabinet before pulling out a large bottle. She holds it up and fakes a smile. “My special emergency bottle. It’s a very expensive brand. Can’t get it anywhere but the Capitol, and even then it isn’t easy to obtain. Know who gave it to me?”

“I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

“Dick Grayson.” Renee expects Helena to be surprised or impressed or anything, but all she has to offer is a slightly sad, but mostly stoic, expression. Every emotion the younger girl has is being locked down tight so she can focus on her objective. Renee opens the bottle and pours some of the golden brown alcohol into a glass. “He gave it to me as an apology gift. I accepted the gift. Not the apology.” She mutters.

“What was he apologizing for?” Helena asks, curiosity getting the better of her. It isn’t news to anyone that Renee and Dick don’t particularly get along, but the dislike has always seemed one-sided, and nobody has ever known why.

“It was his third or fourth year mentoring, so he wasn’t a pro by any means, but he also wasn’t exactly new. I really thought the boy from here stood a chance. Strong kid, good with an axe, charming as hell… He made an alliance with the boy from 2. A career. The kid was being mentored by Grayson. I’ll spare you the details, but Dick told his tribute to betray the poor boy the moment he had the chance. When I found out… I was beyond pissed. Dick tried to explain and apologize over and over. He said he knew his tribute wouldn’t stand a chance against mine if it came down to them. Boy from 2 ended up winning. I don’t really have any right to hold a grudge over it. Every mentor is just doing whatever it takes to get their kid out of that arena. I might have done the same. There was just something about that first shred of hope in so long being snuffed out by betrayal that I couldn’t let go of, though.” Renee walks over to her kitchen table and sits down. Helena stares at her blankly. She rolls her eyes and kicks another chair out to get the point across that she wants Helena to sit.

“Who was it? The boy who won.” Helena asks as she takes the hint and sits.

“Jason Todd.” Renee says. Helena is more than a little familiar. Jason was Roy’s mentor. Not only was he a huge asshole before the games, but after them he made it a habit of glaring at Helena like he wanted her six feet underground. For a moment she feels pissed at Dick for having him betray the boy from 7, too. She could have gone her whole life without ever having to know Jason. Renee tilts her head to the side as she looks at Helena. “I almost told him no when he came to me about you and Dinah working together.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“You. I had every reason to not trust him, and I didn’t. Not at all. But you? I remembered the way Dinah brought you up the first time in the training center. How she already had so much faith you were different from the other careers. And then I watched how you were with Terra.” Helena looks away at the mention of the girl. “I knew you wouldn’t betray Dinah. Especially when I saw how you looked at her once the three of you teamed up. I knew you would protect her.”

“Always.” Helena whispers. A silence grows between them as Renee sips at her drink. When the glass is empty, she sets it down on the table and rubs her face with her hands.

“I’ve been doing this for 24 years, Helena. I went into that arena with twice as many kids as everyone else has to. And then I got out and had to send two more kids to their death every year after it. My job is to save one of them. I failed 23 times. Dinah is the only one I’ve ever been able to save. And now, I will probably have to send her into the arena with some of my closest friends to either kill them or die.”

“Only one of you has to go in.” Helena says. Renee tilts her head in acknowledgement.

“Yeah, but what good does that really do for Dinah?” Renee says. “You have to know that this is intentional. They tried to silence the rebellions with the whole love story, but it didn’t work, so now they have to try Plan B. Which is to kill Dinah. Kill the rebels’ symbol of hope. Let’s say we opt to only send one of us in, which we almost definitely will because it would be stupid to send both of us in when we don’t have to. Think about it. Do you really think the two slips of paper in that reaping ball won’t both have Dinah’s name on them?”

“Then I go in with her.” Helena says like it’s nothing. Renee shakes her head.

“No. Absolutely not.” 

“Yes.” Helena refuses to back down. “If we can’t keep her out of the arena, then I go in it to protect her.”

“She won’t want that.”

“I don’t care. I have to protect her.” Renee groans in frustration.

“Fine. I can’t really stop you, but you have to make a deal with me.” Helena doesn’t hesitate.

“Anything.”

“You have to watch the reapings on TV. Watch ours since it will happen before you have to go to yours. If by some miracle they draw that slip of paper and my name is on it and hers isn’t, then you don’t volunteer. You don’t volunteer and you be there for her through whatever happens. No matter what. Including after the Quarter Quell.”

“But if she gets reaped I go in there to protect her, and you and Dick and Zatanna and Sal all have to do whatever it takes to get her out of there. Not me.” 

“We have a deal?” Renee sticks out her hand. Helena reaches out and gives it a firm shake.

“We have a deal.”

\---

Dinah finds herself on her hands and knees in the wine cellar of an empty home in the Victor’s Village. She hadn’t known where to go or what to do when she ran out the door of her own home. Her first thought was to go to the woods, but she couldn’t risk it. So she just stumbled her way into one of the dusty abandoned homes and down the stairs where she could scream and cry alone in peace. By the time she had emotionally exhausted herself, she had already determined that card was written and planted specifically because of her. The victors are supposed to be a symbol of hope. They’re the people of Panem who survive and free themselves from the games and poverty. The Capitol, or President Sionis more likely, have decided to kill 23 victors in the arena just to show that hope was always an illusion. To show the Capitol has the power to give and take away hope as they see fit. Dinah can’t begin to imagine what will happen in that arena. It won’t be like last time where she had Helena… Helena. The thought of her has Dinah scrambling to her feet and up the stairs. District 2 has three other living female victors. Helena stands a chance of not having to go in. Unless she volunteers. Dinah hurries over to Renee’s house and finds her sitting alone at her kitchen table with a bottle of alcohol and an empty glass.

“I was wondering when you would show up. I assume you’ve figured it out by now, sweetheart. I would go in there in your place in a heartbeat, but we both know Sionis will make sure you get sent in. So what is it you’re here for?” Dinah sits down across from her in the same seat Helena had before she left. She takes the bottle from in front of Renee.

“I’m here for a drink.” She says before taking a swig of the alcohol. 

“Well that I can help with.” Renee spins a coin on the table mindlessly while Dinah tries to figure out what exactly she wants her to do. It’s not like Renee can volunteer for Helena if she gets reaped. But maybe she could talk Helena out of volunteering, or get Dick to do it. Or maybe one of them could somehow get another victor from 2 to agree to volunteer for Helena if she gets reaped. She just can’t let Helena go back in there with her. Renee laughs to herself and stops the coin from spinning. “What do you think it means that she was here almost a whole hour ago asking me to not try and stop her from volunteering and to pour every resource your team and hers have into making sure you get out of that arena?” Dinah shakes her head. She isn’t surprised at all. To think, though, that Helena’s very first instinct was to make sure she was protected while Dinah’s was to run… Shame isn’t even close to capturing how Dinah feels about it.

“It means we’ve got to save her.” She says.

“You could live a hundred lifetimes and still never deserve that girl.”

“I know.” Dinah whispers. “Nobody decent ever wins the games.”

“Nobody ever wins the games. Period.” Renee corrects. She takes the bottle back from Dinah and takes a drink from it. “There are survivors… But there are no winners.”

“Helena has to survive.” Dinah says. “Whether that means keeping her out of the arena or giving everything we have to protect her inside it, she has to survive. We have to do whatever it takes, Renee.”

“Alright, I’ll talk to Dick about seeing if there’s a chance someone would volunteer for her if she gets reaped. If she volunteers for someone else, though? Then my hands are tied.”

“But you could help her. If she volunteers, then our team can help her.” Renee seems hesitant. Dinah knows she probably made an agreement with Helena, but she has to make sure Helena survives. “Promise me. Helena lives. I need you to promise me, Renee. Please.” Renee exhales heavily.

“Okay. I promise.”

Dinah’s mother wraps her in the tightest hug she ever has the moment she steps through the door. Cass joins the hug within a couple seconds. They just stand there holding onto each other and struggling to not completely break down. Cass ends up crying and promptly dismisses herself to her own room. The kid doesn’t like crying in front of people; Dinah understands that. Laurel shoves two mugs of hot chocolate into Dinah’s hands right before she heads up the staircase. She tells Dinah that Helena has been upstairs for quite a while sitting in silence. She didn’t say anything at all to her or Cass when she came back in; she didn’t even look at them. Helena doesn’t look up at her when she enters, but she does accept the mug that gets held out to her. Dinah crawls into the bed and sits next to her, their backs against the headboard, hot cocoa in their hands, fates up in the air. Both of them try to find the right words to say, but there just aren’t any. Neither of them completely finish their drinks before they decide to lay down wrapped in each other’s arms and succumb to sleep for the night.

The days following the news are tense and full of emotions. Cass can barely manage to get any jokes out to lighten the mood like she usually does, and she disappears to her room suddenly more than once when she feels on the verge of tears. Laurel pours herself into work. She mixes herbs into tiny bottles and cooks far more than she needs to and visits the market twice a day. She finishes her book and it’s almost all she and Helena talk about with each other. Most other subjects lead somewhere painful. Helena makes arrangements to return to District 2 in time for Reaping Day and passes the rest of her time carving pieces of wood into all sorts of animals. Dinah is pretty sure the office will be overrun with wooden statues and figures by the time Helena leaves. Part of her finds it endearing, but another part of her knows she won’t be able to set foot in the office after Helena has gotten on the train. Renee drowns herself in alcohol most of the time, but she does find time to make some phone calls. She tells Dinah that, while they aren’t happy about it, Zatanna and Ivy have both agreed to dedicate their time to helping Helena in the event they both go into the arena. Dinah feels like she’s going to fall apart when Renee tells her that one of the female victors from 2 has agreed to volunteer if Helena is reaped. 

The night after Renee tells her that, Dinah lies in Helena’s arms, head against her chest, trying to memorize the sound of her heartbeat. She knows her days are numbered; in some ways, she’s at peace with it. Knowing someone is willing to volunteer in Helena’s place and that her team will work to save Helena are reassuring, but it isn’t enough. Dinah knows the only way to keep Helena out of the arena now is to make sure she doesn’t volunteer. There’s only one way to do that.

“Promise me you aren’t going to volunteer.” She whispers. Helena stiffens.

“I can’t do that.” Dinah squeezes her eyes shut to stop the tears threatening to escape.

“Please,” she begs. “Please don’t volunteer, Helena.”

“I have to protect you.” Dinah props herself up on her elbows so she can look Helena in the eyes.

“No, you don’t. You have done so much to protect me, and I am so so grateful for you, but you don’t have to do this. You still have a chance at a full life.”

“Not if you’re gone.” Helena whispers. 

“Helena, please-”

“No.” Helena’s tone is firm, and Dinah knows she isn’t likely to budge. Helena is set on protecting her, and they promised they wouldn’t lie to each other. “I can’t make you a promise I don’t intend to keep.” Dinah squeezes her eyes shut in an effort to hold back her tears.

“I know how much this is to ask of you. I know it isn’t fair of me to ask you for anything after all I have put you through. But this? You not volunteering? It is the last thing I will ever ask you for, Helena. You’ve given your life for me, but I can’t let you die for me. She reaches up, rests her hand on Helena’s cheek, and brings their foreheads together. “Promise me you won’t volunteer. Please.” Helena is silent, and Dinah prepares herself for another refusal. Helena closes her eyes and runs her fingers up Dinah’s arm, stopping at her wrist.

“Okay.” She whispers.

“Okay?” Dinah just needs confirmation. She needs to be sure. “You promise?” Helena’s nod is short and when she opens her eyes they’re full of pain and sorrow.

“I won’t volunteer.” The happiness she feels at the words is almost enough to crack Dinah’s chest open. She almost wants to cry at the relief of knowing that Helena will be okay. She kisses Helena, softer and with more love than she ever thought she would be capable of. She doesn’t know how to say the words. How to tell Helena that she has been everything. She wants to say it, but she doesn’t, and so Helena doesn’t get to know. The gratitude on Dinah’s lips is bitter in Helena’s mouth, but she still tastes so agonizingly sweet. Helena knows that what’s between them is nothing more than an act of desperation to convince the districts and Sionis; for a moment, though, Dinah has convinced her.

When Sunday arrives, Dinah realizes she hasn’t seen Oliver since the news broke. Life in the district has mostly returned to normal, and everyone has been able to go back to work. He still has his regular Sunday off every week, though. Dinah drags herself out of bed and goes straight to his house once she’s dressed. He must see her coming through the window because he opens the door and steps out before she even knocks. He hugs her like he doesn’t plan on ever letting go, but eventually he does and pulls back. They share a long look, communicating with just their eyes, and then they head for the fence. They have to avoid more peacekeepers than usual and are much more cautious. Once they’re under the fence and jogging into the woods, both of them feel more free than they have ever before. Dinah leads the way to the meadow just a little ways from the lake. The flowers in it are in full bloom as they move through the height of spring and summer draws closer. The two of them sit there between the petals and grass, looking towards the wilderness in the distance.

“I don’t think I’ll get to come home this time.” Dinah whispers. Oliver picks at the grass in front of them.

“Is Helena going in with you?”

“She wants to. I had to beg her to promise not to volunteer.” He nods and moves to sit differently. He rests his arms on his knees.

“This would be better if she were easier to hate.” Dinah huffs out a laugh.

“Tell me about it.” If it were possible to hate Helena, then Dinah could have killed her in the arena, been the lone victor, and gone about her life with all the money and riches she would ever need. But it isn’t possible. Not for Oliver and certainly not for Dinah. She doesn’t want to waste her time thinking about what might have been. Oliver knows that she picked him when she chose to stay instead of running. There isn’t anything more she can say. She would like to tell him how much he means to her and how much better it has made her life to be able to know him. To be able to love him. He has to let her go, though, and she’s sure if she tells him those things then he never will.

“We should have gone when you said.” Oliver says quietly after a moment. Dinah looks at him and can’t help but think about how much better he has always deserved. This life has been nothing but cruel to him, and having her in it has just added to that. She leans in and kisses him, one hand on the ground and another on his chin. It doesn’t last long enough to be their last, but Dinah is trying to make it as painless as possible. When she pulls back, she immediately stands up and reaches a hand out to him. 

“Wanna go skip rocks in the lake?” She asks casually. The somber look on his face turns back to his usual easygoing smile, and he lets her lift him up off the ground. They make their way to the lake, conversing just as they would any other Sunday in the woods. Oliver tells her about how Thea has been trying to convince their mom they need a dog. Dinah tells him about Cass deciding she wants to be both a doctor and a fashion designer. Oliver asks how Helena is and when she has to leave. Dinah is surprised by the question but even more surprised when she answers it and he asks if she thinks it would be okay for him to come see Helena off. She knows whatever happened that day in the woods and then with the peacekeepers after has given the two of them a bond nobody else can quite understand. Just like the games did for her and Helena. To know that the two of them don’t just tolerate each other but actually care for one another… Dinah isn’t sure if that makes everything hurt more or less.

They skip rocks for way longer than should be enjoyable. Or, Dinah skips rocks and Oliver sees how far he can throw them. Around noon, Dinah scavenges for nuts and berries while Oliver retrieves a squirrel from one of his snares. They build a fire and roast the squirrel and the nuts over it while snacking on the berries. They hike north when they’re done eating lunch; they go as far as they can, farther than they’ve ever gone. They see a small herd of elk grazing together, a pair of bear cubs and their mother playing in the water, a fox and a porcupine and so many birds. They find a waterfall they never knew was out there and trees bigger than they could ever imagine. They laugh and talk like they’ve never known Panem. Dinah thought she had made peace with the idea of never coming home, but with each moment she finds herself begging more and more for the sun to never set. 

It’s unavoidable, though, and they make their way back towards the district, arriving at the fence just as it begins to get dark out. Stepping back into the district is like flipping a switch in both of them. Every bit of joy is crushed instantly. Within the fence of District 7, the Hunger Games and Reaping Day and death and starvation and poverty are brought back to the forefront of their minds. Dinah is reminded that she’s had a death sentence for a while, and now she’s just waiting for it to be carried about. They walk home silently, parting ways with nothing more than a tight hug. When Dinah gets back home, Helena and Cass are playing some card game at the kitchen table while Laurel watches them from the couch. Dinah tries to push away how heavy she feels and gets her mom to join her in crashing the game. They play cards for hours until everyone is too tired to continue. Dinah does her best to ignore the packed bag sitting against the wall in her bedroom while Helena pulls the blankets over the two of them. Dinah doesn’t want to have to say goodbye.

The train arrives exactly at 4 pm on Tuesday. Helena keeps a brave face and smiles for everyone like it won’t be the last time she probably sees them. Laurel gives her a long hug and showers her with love and praise. Cass cries openly in her arms. Renee gives her a pat on the back and a nod that says more than any words could. She and Oliver stare at each other awkwardly for a second before embracing each other. He lowers his voice so that only she can hear him.

“You’re a good liar, Helena.” He says. “Take care of each other in there, okay?” She nods against his shoulder.

“Help her forget me when she comes home.” She whispers back. They pull apart and he gives her a small smile while shaking his head.

“Never.” The peacekeeper at the door of the train yells for her to hurry up. Oliver steps back with everyone else to give her and Dinah a moment. Dinah brushes some invisible dust off Helena’s shirt and takes a shaky breath.

“You remember your promise, right?” She asks.

“Of course.”

“I don’t know if you’ll be in the Capitol, but-”

“I will be.” Helena interrupts her. “So don’t go giving me any goodbye speech just yet.” Dinah laughs nervously. 

“Okay. Then…” She leans forward and presses a quick kiss to Helena’s cheek. “See you later.” Dinah can’t help but smile at the blush on Helena’s face. Knowing Helena will be safe is the only positive Dinah has managed to find since President Sionis read that card aloud.

“See you later.” Helena says back. She heads up the platform to where the peacekeeper is holding the door open and gives one last wave before stepping through it. The man slams it shut behind her, and in under a minute the train is exiting the station. Everyone lingers as it fades out of view in the distance before all heading home.

Friday comes faster than Dinah was expecting. It’s hotter out than it usually is in District 7, but occasionally a nice breeze will blow through and provide a small relief. Everyone in the district is gathered in the square, surrounded by armed peacekeepers at the ready. A group of four peacekeepers arrive just after noon to the Victor’s Village to escort Dinah and Renee to the Justice Hall. They’re led up onto the stage where Zatanna is standing. She’s smiling like she would on any other Reaping Day, but for once it’s obviously fake. Beside her is a glass reaping ball with only two slips of paper inside of it instead of the usual hundreds.

“Welcome, welcome,” she greets the crowd. “as we celebrate the 75th anniversary and the 3rd Quarter Quell of the Hunger Games. Because there are only two victors of District 7, they were given the choice between both being tributes this year or only one of them being a tribute. They have chosen for only one of them to be a tribute. As per the rules of this year’s Quarter Quell, the victor who is reaped may not be volunteered for.” She leans into the glass ball and pulls a single slip of paper. “The tribute from District 7,” she says into the microphone as she unfolds the paper to read it. “Dinah Lance.” It doesn’t surprise Dinah, but to say she hadn’t hoped for a different name to be said would be a lie. She steps up to stand beside Zatanna. The escort puts a hand on her shoulder in an effort to give her some sense of comfort. “Very well. Your tribute from District 7: Dinah Lance.”

Laurel’s hand raises up in the air, drawing everyone’s attention to her three finger salute. Cass and Oliver do the same from either side of her. Then, every hand in the crowd raises up across the square. There is no sadness on the faces of the people of District 7. Only anger. Dinah knows that Sionis believes this Quarter Quell will silence the people of Panem, but she knows it will only inspire them more. She raises her three fingers in return. To tell them she loves them and she’s with them. The new head peacekeeper grabs her by the arm and begins to drag her away while two others move to push Renee and Zatanna inside the building. 

“Dinah!” Cass cries out.

“I get to say goodbye.” Dinah says, struggling against his hold. He tightens his grip.

“New procedure. Straight onto the train.”

“No, I have to say goodbye.” Dinah argues. He goes to pull her inside the doors and she spins around just enough to look at Cass, her mother, and Oliver. “Goodbye!” She yells desperately as the doors are slammed shut in her face. The peacekeepers escort the three of them out the back to the train station where they’re basically shoved onto the train before the door is shut on them. No cameras are there to film them and no crowd is there to wave them off. The train is moving the second the door shuts, leaving Dinah to stare out the window as District 7 disappears and every goodbye lingers on her lips.

She had thought about them. About how to say goodbye to all three of them. Words don’t come easy to her, but she had thought long and hard about what all to say. How to give them some sense of closure if she doesn’t make it out. She wanted to leave them with something other than her body in a wooden box. The Capitol took it from them just like they took every aspect of Dinah’s life. Nothing is hers, but when she thinks about the lives of everyone in Panem she’s reminded that nothing is really anybody’s. She doesn’t know how long she’s been standing there staring out the window until Renee is telling her it’s time for dinner. The meal is uncomfortable and silent between the three of them until Zatanna decides to make an attempt at starting conversation.

“So, I have had a thought-”

“How unusual,” Renee teases. Zatanna shoots her an unamused glare. “Tough crowd. Sorry. Continue.”

“Dinah has her gold mockingjay pin. I have my earrings.” She gestures to the jewelry to make sure they see them. “I was thinking I could get something gold for Helena and the mentors. As a token. To show them we are a team, and that they cannot just-”

“Helena?” It took a moment, but the words register in Dinah’s head like a punch to the gut. Helena. And the mentors. As in two mentors. As in Helena also has a mentor. As in Helena is also going into the arena.

“You didn’t know…” Zatanna says, hand going to her mouth as she realizes she’s the one to break the news to the girl.

“Dinah,” Renee says, unsure of how to handle whatever reaction is coming. 

“You said someone would volunteer for her.” Dinah is angry and worried, but more than anything she’s confused. They had it all figured out. Helena got to survive. That was supposed to be it.

“Sweetheart,” Renee’s face is filled with nothing but sympathy, and Dinah is sure she’s going to be sick. “She wasn’t reaped. She volunteered.” It’s like the wind has been knocked out of her. Dinah scoots her chair back and gets up, completely shocked. She starts pacing beside the table.

“She volunteered.” 

“I’m sorry.” Renee whispers.

“She volunteered.” 

“Dick tried to stop her.” Dinah stops and puts a hand over her chest. She thinks she may be having a heart attack. She knows she isn’t because her mom has talked about the symptoms before. But her heart is beating fast enough that the thought does cross her mind.

“She lied to me.” Dinah’s voice cracks, and Renee is out of her chair just in time to catch her as her knees give out under her. Renee lowers her to the ground and holds her as she sobs. Zatanna joins them on the ground, rubbing circles on Dinah’s back and shedding a few tears of her own. All Dinah can manage to do is repeat “She lied to me.” over and over in the midst of her crying. Her mentor and escort both do their best to console her, but it’s to no avail. When she’s exhausted herself crying she makes her way to her room for the night. They’ll be in the Capitol come noon, and she can’t bear the thought of being awake any longer until then.

Dinah awakens feeling just as broken as she did when she went to sleep. Lying in bed without Helena by her was hard enough. Knowing Helena was going into the games only made it worse. Renee is miserable too. Partially because so many people she cares about are going to be fighting to the death and partially because she can’t drink her way through the pain. She has to stay sober in order to be of any help during the games. Zatanna has had the alcohol available on their train car limited in an effort to help Renee with that. Renee just drowns herself in bacon and black coffee at breakfast as Zatanna tells Dinah about the state of the art training center, brand new living quarters for the tributes, and an arena like no other. It’s only when the train reaches the Capitol that she finally stops speaking. 

Dinah is grateful that there are no crowds where they unload from the train because she knows if any sponsors saw her looking like she does she would be absolutely fucked. The train door slides open to let them off, and Dinah is met with Helena standing maybe 20 feet away and looking right at her. Helena at least has the decency to look guilty as their eyes meet. Dinah rushes forward to her.

“You fucking promised me!” She yells, breaking down again the moment she’s in Helena’s arms. “You lied to me! You promised!” Dinah hits Helena’s chest with her fists as she sobs. “You promised you wouldn’t volunteer!”

“Dinah, stop. Look at me.” Helena says, trying to block her hands. Dinah stops and lets her hand rest against Helena, one just above her sternum and one against her shoulder. Helena is looking at her with a mix of sadness and love that Dinah has only seen twice before: when she begged Dinah not to go to the feast in their first games and when she saw Dinah kiss Oliver. “If my options were to go back in or risk losing you, then I never had a choice.”

“I’m so mad at you.” Dinah whispers.

“I know.”

“I hate to interrupt this. I really do.” Renee says from where she and Zatanna have joined Dick who was standing off to the side awkwardly. “But we have work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next two chapters........................ are some of my favorites. so many fun character intros next chapter. i think yall will really like them. 
> 
> thanks for reading! and if you enjoyed those comments/kudos are much appreciated and really mean a lot. see yall in a couple days fhdkvdf


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so first things first. for anyone reading who doesnt know this ive basically been casting every character as i go and making aesthetics for a bunch of them on my tumblr. so if you wanna see them then you should go to thewomanofwonder.tumblr.com/tagged/hunger-games-au and that is where youll find them. i added three new ones a little bit ago for this chapter.
> 
> second. im going to ask you right here to remember to comment and leaves kudos and whatnot because by the end of this chapter........... i will have nothing to say for myself.
> 
> and last but not least. good luck. please enjoy.

The five of them ride in one car together to the building where they’ll be dressed up, loaded onto chariots, and sent out for the Tribute Parade. Dick informs Renee that Jason Todd is the male tribute from District 2. He, his own mentor, and the escort for District 2, someone new who has apparently taken Sal’s place, went in their own car. Renee asks if they’ve watched any recaps of the reapings to see who else will be in the games to which Helena informs her all they did on the train was play chess with each other and sleep. Dinah pulls Helena’s hand into hers at some point along the ride and refuses to let go until they’re forced to separate to go see their individual stylists. Dinah’s prep team cries as they get her ready, which leaves her feeling more annoyed than she would like to be. The people of the Capitol have no problem sending children off to die every year, but suddenly because it’s the victors they’re all so broken up about it. It doesn’t help that Dinah is sure the people she loves have been crying at home, but they didn’t even get a goodbye. When they’re finished and leave her alone in the room, it’s a much needed quiet. It doesn’t last for long before the door slides open and Ivy walks in.

“Cry and I’ll beat the shit out of you.” Dinah warns her. Ivy laughs as she approaches.

“Don’t worry, I prefer to channel my emotions into my work. That way I never hurt anybody but myself. I’ll have a chat with the prep team about holding it together, though. You shouldn’t have to deal with that on top of everything else.”

“Thank you,” Dinah whispers. Ivy nods.

“So you’ll be riding in the chariot alone. Which means I just need to help you stand out even more.” 

“Fire again?” Ivy laughs.

“Along those lines.”

The costume turns out to be a dark brown, almost black dress, textured to look like lumber, that doesn’t particularly stand out in comparison to most other parade costumes, but Dinah trusts that Ivy has something up her sleeve as always. Her makeup is done with dramatic highlights to make her cheekbones look sharper and give her eyes a dark smolder. Ivy gestures for her to look in the mirror, and Dinah turns to do so, but then a glint of something catches her eye. She can’t stop herself from reaching out to grab the woman’s wrist. The diamond is what got her attention, but the small green jewels around the silver band of the ring are just as beautiful. She doesn’t miss that it’s on the ring finger of her left hand.

“Ivy…” She whispers in awe.

“What? You didn’t think you were the only one who got to have some passionate love story, did you?”

“Did you- Who- When did-” Ivy laughs at the confusion and excitement coming from Dinah.

“I’ll tell you all about it later. For now, we have a chariot to get you to.” Dinah grumbles about it to herself as she and Ivy exit the room and head down the hall to the doorway leading outside. There’s an opening at the top of the cement structure that people of the Capitol are looking down at all of them through. They yell and shout Dinah’s name, and she glances up, but she doesn’t wave or acknowledge them in any way. Ivy tells her to go ahead without her, that she’ll be over there in a moment, and heads off in the opposite direction. Dinah makes her way over to the chariot with the number 7 on it. Different tributes are scattered around and mingling with each other since most of them are friends, but Dinah just runs her hand along the side of one of the horse’s attached to her chariot. 

“Dinah Lance.” She turns her head at the deep voice to find Arthur Curry standing beside her. He’s one of the most iconic victors of the games, so it isn’t hard to recognize him. Dinah finds herself having to tilt her head up a little to look at him because of his height. He holds up a small white cube. “Would you like a sugar cube? They’re technically for the horses, but they have years to eat sugar. You and I, though? If we see something sweet we better grab it.”

“I’m good, thanks.” She glances at the silver and gold fishing net draped around him, covering him just enough so that he isn’t technically nude. The necklace of blue, ocean-like jewels is a nice touch. Arthur is beloved in the Capitol; it’s not a secret to anyone. He was the youngest winner ever at the age of 14, a career out of District 4, and apparently the lover of anyone in the Capitol who can afford him. “I’d love to borrow the outfit sometime, though.” Arthur grins, showing off his perfectly straight and white teeth. Dinah wonders if he’s just fortunate to have a smile like that or if the money from being a victor got it for him.

“Only if I can borrow yours, too. It’s a pretty terrifying getup. What happened to all the elegant and pretty little dresses?” Dinah can see why so many people are infatuated with him. He’s remarkably charming, but she’s unfazed by it.

“I outgrew them.”

“You certainly did.” He says. “You know this Quell thing is a damn shame. You could have made out like a bandit in the Capitol. Helena, too. Jewels, money, anything you wanted.”

“Well, I don’t care for jewels and I have way too much money, so.” Dinah says with a tilt of her head. “What do you do with all your wealth anyway?”

“Money is boring. I haven’t dealt in it in years.”

“Oh yeah? So how do people pay for the pleasure of your company?” Arthur smirks.

“With secrets.” He whispers. “So tell me, Girl on Fire, got any secrets worth my time?” Dinah blushes, and it makes her want to slap him. She doesn’t want to find him charming. It’s bad enough she finds him attractive.

“I’m an open book.” She tells him. “Feels like everyone knows my secrets before I even know them.”

“Unfortunately, I think that is true.” He looks to the side to see Helena approaching with Ivy and Harley behind her. He leans in and drops her voice back to a whisper. “I’m sorry you had to cancel your wedding. I’m sure you must have been just devastated by that.” He pops the sugar cube into his mouth with a crunch. “Have a lovely day,” he says before sauntering off to his own chariot. He and Helena nod to one another as they pass each other.

“What did Arthur Curry want?” Helena asks. She’s wearing a gold tunic and pants, and her arms and neck have had some kind of silver and white powder thrown on them. On her head rests a gold crown that looks like an olive wreath. 

“To know all my secrets.” Dinah says in a playfully seductive voice. Helena laughs and makes a face.

“Well he can get in line, then.” An announcer calls overhead for the tributes to get on their chariots. Helena smiles. “Just wanted to come wish you luck. Blow them all away, alright?” She and Harley head off wherever the District 2 chariot awaits, and Ivy steps into Dinah’s view to lead her to the back of hers.

“We’re doing something different this time. No waving and smiling, alright? I want you to just look ahead like the entire audience and the games are beneath you.” She holds up a small remote and smirks. “Press this when you’re ready.” She helps Dinah up onto the chariot, and then the horses all begin heading out. 

The crowd is even more wild than they were the previous year, but Dinah does as told. She stares ahead without interest in them. She suffered through the games and never even truly got to enjoy the benefits of doing so. The Capitol does not deserve her smile or her forgiveness. She’s the only one in a chariot alone, and it’s freeing in a way. As the chariots begin to enter the loop of the city circle, Dinah looks up to find President Sionis standing above at his podium like always. She can’t see him in perfect detail, but she knows the moment he looks at her, and she presses the button. Flames flicker to life along her dress like burning embers in a campfire. As the chariot makes its way around the circle she keeps her eyes locked on Sionis, unwilling to look away until the chariot has finished the loop and she has her back to him.

The moment the chariots stop the tributes are all hopping out. Ivy, Renee, Zatanna, Dick, and Harley are gathered off to the side waiting for Dinah and Helena. When they reach their team, Zatanna leads the way towards the elevator. She explains to them that she managed to get them special permission from the head gamemaker for Helena and her team to stay on floor 7 since District 7 only has one tribute. Dinah is surprised, but chooses not to question it. Renee and Dick explain that they’re going to sit down after dinner and go through all of the other tributes and start talking gameplans. They all step into the elevator, and Harley excitedly presses the button to go to floor 7. Just before the doors slide shut, another tribute joins them. She’s in a leather dress and wearing a solid black cowboy hat, but she takes the hat off and sets it on top of Dick’s head. He grins and tips it at her, earning him a smirk in return. Dinah barely recognizes her, but she knows her name is Diana Prince. She looks Helena and Dinah both up and down.

“Well don’t you two just look amazing?”

“Thank you.” Dinah says as the other tribute turns her back to them and starts removing clips from her hair and dropping them to the floor with no regard.

“Wish I had a stylist like one of these two. Mine is an idiot. District 10. Livestock. Leather. Very original.” Ivy and Harley both seem pleased with the compliment, but nobody says anything. “So what do you think now that the whole world wants to sleep with you?”

“I don’t think the-” Diana spins around and cuts Dinah off with a look.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” She raises an eyebrow at Helena and then turns her back to her. “Will you unzip?” She asks sweetly. Dinah’s eyes widen at the question, but her jaw drops when Helena says yes and goes to unzip the back of the woman’s dress. Zatanna looks mortified. Harley and Ivy look impressed. Renee and Dick are clearly trying not to laugh their asses off. Helena just looks vaguely confused. Diana turns around to face them again and pulls her now unzipped dress down off her body. Aside from the cowboy boots, she doesn’t have any other clothing on. Helena blinks and clears her throat like she hasn’t had water in over a week. Diana tilts her head in amusement. “Do you have something to say baby?”

“You’re very gorgeous,” Helena tells her without even thinking. 

“Why thank you. I could say the same to you.” She smirks as they all stand there in silence as the elevator continues on up. She shoots a wink in Ivy and Harley’s direction at one point, but the rest of the time she’s just blatantly checking Helena out while Dinah glares at her. She reaches back without looking just as they pass the 3rd floor and hits the 4 button. “Very important meeting.” She tells them. Dinah is pretty sure she could have called that one. The elevator stops when it reaches the 4th floor, and Diana turns right as the doors open. “Thanks. We should do it again sometime!” She calls as she walks away, leaving her clothes on the floor in front of them.

“No, thank you.” Dick says.

“Diana Prince, District 10.” Renee tells them. When the elevator stops on the 7th floor, Helena and Dinah are both sent to go take showers and change clothes before dinner. The meal is just as big as every other meal in the Capitol has always been. Even though she hates the Capitol and everything it stands for, Dinah can’t deny that the food is fantastic. Topics around the table range from Ivy’s newest designs to Helena’s time in 7 and about a dozen other things. The team feels like its own little family to all of them. Dinah tells herself to remember to thank Zatanna for arranging for them to all stay in the same apartment. It’s comforting for everyone to be together. After they’ve finished dessert, Renee and Dick drag Helena and Dinah into the living area. They have the two of them sit on the couch while they pull up footage of everyone’s reapings to go over the other tributes. Ivy, Harley, and Zatanna join them after a moment to listen in.

“This is no secret to either of you,” Dick begins. “But you two are the outsiders. These other tributes all know each other from years of being mentors together.”

“Plus they’re Capitol favorites.” Zatanna chimes in.

“Exactly. They’ll have a much easier time getting sponsors than the two of you may.” Dick agrees.

“We need you to forget everything you know about the games.” Renee tells them. “Last year? That was nothing. This is an entire new level of competition. These people are all experienced killers.”

“Strong start, Renee. I’m feeling very motivated already.” Dinah deadpans as she gets more comfortable and leans against Helena’s side.

“So how do we even the playing field?” Helena asks. Dick and Renee share an awkward look, and all Helena wonders is whether they’re worried about her reaction, Dinah’s reaction, or both.

“You two are going to need allies.” Dick says, deciding to just rip the bandaid off.

“No.” Dinah’s voice is firm, and Helena knows this is going to be a struggle amongst the four of them.

“Sweetheart, these people have been friends for years. If the two of you go in there alone, then they will make sure their first order of business is to hunt you down.” Renee gives her a pointed look. “Both of you.” Dinah looks away for a moment and then back at her.

“How are we even supposed to trust each other?”

“It isn’t about trust.” Dick answers while scratching his jaw. “It’s about surviving.” He uses the remote to turn the TV mounted to the wall on. The first pair of tributes are standing on a stage together, hands raised together as the crowd cheers. They’re both fairly muscular, and Dinah assumes they must have been careers in their first games. Something about the man is familiar, though.

“Bruce Wayne was reaped?” Helena asks. Dinah’s eyes widen.

“Wayne? As in like…?”

“Damian.” Dick answers. “Yes. District 1’s tributes are Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. They were both careers, won back-to-back games, have tons of sponsors, and I don’t know about Selina, but Bruce will likely be out for vengeance.”

“What’s the deal with her teeth?” Dinah asks. Selina’s teeth are all razor sharp and pointed like a wild animal.

“She had them sharpened like that to rip people’s throats out.” Dick says with a tense smile.

“Their weakness is the other two members of their alliance.” Renee says. The screen changes to show a split of Jason Todd and a tribute from another district with bleach blonde hair and scars all over him. “Jason and Victor Zsasz.” Dinah and Helena both must look confused because Renee elaborates without needing to be told. “Not much to Jason you don’t already know, but Victor Zsasz is from District 12. Not often you see a non-career enjoying the games, but he had a field day with his. Always happy to get bloody and never one for a quick kill.” Dick nods in agreement.

“Basically, they’re both loose cannons. Jason isn’t a fan of being stealthy or planning his next move. He prefers to run right into the line of fire. Zsasz is just completely crazy and doesn’t play well with others. Bruce and Selina are both cunning and skilled, but they could easily butt heads with Jason and Zsasz. If the games last long enough I imagine their alliance will implode on itself.” He tells them before pressing the remote again to show the tributes from 3.

“Victor Stone and June Moone. Not fighters by any means, but they’re both incredibly smart. Even if they are a bit weird.” Renee says.

“District 4. Arthur and Atlanna.” Dick announces as the TV shows two more tributes at their reapings.

“Arthur is the youngest winner ever, right?” Ivy asks.

“Yep. He was 14.” Dick says. “He’s extremely humble.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Dinah says. Renee rolls her eyes.

“Of course he’s kidding. Arthur is one of the most arrogant people I have ever met. But the Capitol loves it and they love him. He’s handsome. He’s charming. He’s smart. And he is incredibly skilled at combat, especially in the water.”

“Please tell me he has a weakness.” Helena says.

“One. Atlanna.” Dick points towards the small old woman next to Arthur on the stage. “She was his mentor, and she volunteered for someone very important to him, Mera. If he’s trying to protect her, and I’m sure he will be, then it could expose him.”

“The morphlings are the tributes from 6. Both of them won their games with incredible camouflaging and basically just waited until everyone else was dead. They’ve been self-medicating with morphling ever since, hence the name, which I cannot blame them for.” Renee says. “They aren’t a threat, but still keep an eye out for them just in case.”

“Both tributes from Districts 5, 8, 9, and 11, plus the male tribute from 11 and the female tributes from 11 and 12, are all nothing to be worried about. They’re old or out of shape or have health issues or some other thing that will probably get them killed early on, or at least before you have to even think about them. Obviously don’t count anyone out, but you should keep most of your focus on the biggest threats.” Dick tells them.

“So who does that leave? Diana and the guy from 11?” Dinah asks.

“Sure does.” Dick presses the button one last time to show the split screen of Diana and the generically handsome man from 11. “Diana Prince and Clark Kent. Best friends. Will probably be working together.”

“Clark will reel in the sponsors with the good ol’ boy attitude while Diana does most of the fighting. Don’t get me wrong, Clark is strong and incredible in hand to hand combat, but Diana likes to get her hands dirty. She won her games by pretending to be weak so everyone would underestimate her, and then once she was in the final 5 she slaughtered them.” Renee can’t help the amused smile that crosses her face when she sees the way Dinah is glaring at the woman on the screen. Dick looks up at the clock and turns the TV off.

“You have two items on the agenda for training: keep up the star-crossed lovers act and make some friends. Just do some stations with the others, make conversation, test the waters. See who you may want to try and ally with.” He says. The two mentors dismiss them to go get some sleep for the night so they can head to training right after breakfast the following day.

Training is a completely different experience from last time. Everything in the training center has been fully upgraded. Instead of some targets that move side to side with the pull of a lever, they now have 3D holograms of humans they can practice shooting or throwing other weapons at. The areas for sword, axe, and hand-to-hand training have a series of platforms to create terrain that’s more difficult to navigate. Even the fire building and camouflaging areas have seen upgrades to look like small areas pulled straight from an actual forest. The center itself isn’t the only thing different. Several tributes don’t even show up. Nearly everyone who is present, though, looks like a career. Dinah knows they’re meant to be making friends with these people, but she isn’t particularly overwhelmed with their choices. She and Helena agree to split up and cover as much ground as possible to see who they don’t like or trust and work their way backwards. Helena seems hesitant to leave Dinah’s side, but after a moment she wanders off to where Diana and Clark are throwing spears. Dinah decides to go to the knot tying section. Nobody is over there, but that’s kind of the point. She’s in the middle of figuring out how to tie the rope in her hands when a familiar voice speaks up behind her.

“Having trouble?” Dinah looks at Arthur with a frown. He chuckles and grabs a rope of his own, leaning back against the table as he begins to tie a knot like it’s second nature to him. “Here. Allow me to show you the best knot to know in the arena.” Dinah just stares at him for a moment before he laughs again. “Don’t look at me! I know I’m handsome, but look at the knot.” He manipulates the rope into the way he wants it without any issue in what can’t be more than two seconds. He puts the noose over his head and tightens it.

“Very funny.” Dinah says with a roll of her eyes. She walks away before he can even respond and heads for the fire building station. The two tributes from District 3, Victor and June, are there and look to be struggling to even get a spark. Victor is mumbling something to June about friction and heat and how that should make fire when Dinah approaches. 

“Move your hands downward… and faster, too.” She tells him, mimicking the action as she sits on the ground with them. “It’ll help.” He does as she recommends, and within a few seconds his fire is starting to smoke and sizzle.

“Thank you,” he says to Dinah. 

“By the corner of the table,” June says. Her soft spoken tone takes Dinah by surprise for some reason. She and Victor look up at the table June is talking about. Ellen Yee stands beside it watching everyone while the other gamemakers are scattered about.

“Ellen? She’s the head gamemaker this year.”

“No, it’s a force field.” Victor tells her. Dinah squints in confusion. She doesn’t see anything.

“How can you tell?”

“The shimmering.” Victor reaches out and pushes her face about an inch to the left, and suddenly she’s staring directly at it. About a square foot of the table looks like it’s vibrating because of the barely visible rippling in front of it. “You see it?”

“Yeah,” Dinah whispers. She’s kind of in awe that they were able to spot such a thing with so much ease. “I shot an arrow at them last year, so… probably my fault it’s there now.” June gives a small round of applause that makes Dinah smile.

“It’s electromagnetic.” Victor notes. 

“How do you know that?” Victor and June both laugh. “Is it obvious? Help me out here.”

“Every now and then the lights or the holograms flicker. Think about it. Why do they flicker?” Dinah gets it then.

“The forcefield is taking up too much energy, right?” She asks. Victor nods.

“Always a flaw in the system.” June whispers as she fidgets with one of the pieces of flint from the station. 

Dinah makes a small attempt to bond with more tributes after that. She joins Bruce and Selina at the first aid station. They carry on a little bit of conversation, meaning Selina and Dinah because Bruce just glares at her, but it’s clear an alliance with them isn’t the right fit. She does enjoy the little bit of time she spends in sword training with Clark. He’s extremely friendly and seems cool, but all Dinah can think about when she looks at him is that he mentored either Terra or Jaime, and that’s too much for her. She heads to the fishhook station when they’re done, politely declining Clark’s offer to join him and Diana at the knife throwing station. Helena and Arthur are in the edible plant section, but they look like they’re joking with each other more than they’re learning anything. Dinah isn’t too surprised. Of course the two most charming tributes would get along like old friends. Arthur’s district counterpart, Atlanna, is at the fishhook station, though. The old woman is incredibly good at making them; she can do it out of every material available without issue. She has a thick accent and her speech is slurred, possibly because of a stroke, so Dinah can’t make out more than about one in five words from her. She thinks about how she volunteered for Cass and how Atlanna volunteered for that girl back in 4. She offers to teach Atlanna how to hunt in exchange for her teaching Dinah to make a fishhook. It takes several attempts, but eventually Dinah has a functional fishhook, and Atlanna looks pretty proud of her. The two of them head over to the archery station together.

“Do you want to give it a try with me?” Dinah asks, offering one of the bows out to her, but she shakes her head and smiles. 

Dinah grabs a quiver full of arrows and steps into the middle of the long room. The glass door slides shut and the lights dim around her. The holograms are a bright shade of orange and come right at her, armed with their virtual weapons. She takes them down with ease as they run and throw spears at her. She spins and ducks and rolls to avoid every weapon that comes her way. The last hologram enemy jumps down from above, and she takes it out just as quickly as she did all of the others. The sound of clapping draws her attention over to the glass doors where every tribute is gathered to watch her. June is the one clapping for her. Their expressions range from impressed to hateful. Helena is looking at her with nothing but love and pride. Helena brags about the show Dinah put on in the archery station when they’re at dinner that night.

“Well, that explains why half the tributes want to be allies with you two.” Renee tells them.

“I may have to put in a formal request of my own.” Helena says. “She’s that good.”

“So good that Victor Zsasz wants you.” Dick notes. Ivy raises her wine glass up.

“Sounds like you’ve got your pick of the litter, darling. Well done.” 

“I want Victor and June.” Dinah tells the mentors. Dick and Renee both look like they’re having to compose themselves.

“Diana calls them ‘Nuts’ and ‘Volts’.” Helena says. Something about that statement pisses Dinah off more than it should, and she can’t stop herself from snapping.

“If you’re so concerned with what Diana thinks then why don’t you go fuck her.” Helena draws back into herself instantly. Her jaw shifts and the natural charm she exudes disappears. Dinah wants to bury herself six feet under. Everyone at the table looks vaguely uncomfortable. Even Ivy is giving Dinah a look that tells her she shouldn’t have said that.

“Okay. Victor and June.” Helena says. “Who else do you want?”

“Helena, I’m sorry.” Dinah whispers.

“Who else do you want?” Dinah feels terrible, and she wants to apologize over and over until she’s made it up to her, but Helena doesn’t seem interested in addressing it. Dinah doesn’t want to push her away accidentally.

“Atlanna.”

“Jesus fucking christ.” Renee groans. “We’ll just tell them you two are still making up your minds.”

“Sounds good,” Helena says, standing from the table and heading to her own room. “I’ll see you all in the morning.” The dining room goes silent as she exits. Dick looks pissed off, and Dinah wants him to berate her, but he holds back whatever words he has. 

“Do not make me say it.” Renee says. Dinah nods and heads towards the stairs to follow Helena. When she opens the door to the room, Helena is staring out a window with her back to Dinah.

“Come to apologize?” Helena asks. Dinah pulls the door shut and walks towards her slowly.

“Helena, I didn’t- I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair of me to say.” Helena turns around to face her.

“You’re right. It wasn’t.” She sighs. “I know things are stressful right now. I know you don’t feel good about the ally situation. I get it. Trust me, I do. But if there is a problem just talk to me, Dinah. What are you so against Diana for?” Dinah knows the answer to the question. She doesn’t want to tell Helena the answer. Helena deserves an answer. All three facts make Dinah have to look down at the ground to avoid eye contact.

“She’s been flirting with you.” Dinah says softly. Helena barks out a laugh and then slaps her hand over her mouth.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh.” She says. “But Dinah… you’re jealous of Diana?” Dinah can hear the laugh under Helena’s tone.

“I’m not- It’s- This isn’t funny.”

“It’s kind of funny.” Dinah rolls her eyes and turns away, but Helena pulls her close. She wraps her long arms around Dinah and exhales. “I love you. Okay?” Dinah hates that Helena says that. She hates it because it makes her feel so much better instantly; she hates it because she doesn’t know how to say it back.

“Helena, I-”

“Shh.” Helena presses a kiss to her forehead. She understands Dinah loves Oliver. She could never hold that against her. “I know. It’s okay. I just need you to know I love you and that isn’t changing. Nobody can take your place.” She pulls back and smiles at Dinah. “Just don’t say shit like that again please.” Dinah shakes her head emphatically.

“I won’t. I really am so sorry.” Helena waves it off like it’s nothing.

“It’s alright. We’ve talked about it now. We’re good. I am tired from spending the whole day running from station to station, so I’m going to take a shower, and then I’m going to sleep. Will you be joining me?” 

“Always.” Dinah whispers.

Helena and Dinah decide to stick together in training after the first day. Every station they go to, they go together for the following two days. Both of them feel fully initiated into the victor’s circle. They spend time with almost everyone. The morphlings show them how to camouflage themselves in exchange for two tiny duck figurines Helena carves out of a piece of wood she stole from the fire building station with one of the throwing knives. Arthur exchanges trident lessons for archery lessons. Diana shows them both how to use a lasso; it’s not a very useful skill for the arena, but she shows them more for fun than anything else. Helena and Victor have a long conversation about classic literature while Dinah plays freeze tag with June and Clark on the climbing course. Dinah quickly learns that most of the victors have been left damaged by the Hunger Games. She wants to protect all of them, but she knows they all have to die if she’s going to save Helena. She can’t think about it too long because, in all honesty, she has come to like some of them. They all sit together waiting to be summoned for individual assessment even though the gamemakers already know what everyone’s skills are from their previous games. The victors all laugh and joke about what they’ll do with their 15 minutes. Diana and Arthur both debate strip teases. Selina says she’s going to subject them to the most off-key singing she can muster. Atlanna tells them she’s going to take a nap. Helena is sitting sideways and absentmindedly playing with Dinah’s fingers when Dinah finally whispers what’s been on both of their minds.

“Helena, how are we supposed to kill these people?”

Helena is called in for assessment a decent amount of time before Dinah is because she’s from District 2. Arthur talks Dinah’s ear off for most of the time, though. When Dinah does finally get called in she has no idea what to do. They’re aware she can shoot well. She supposes she could throw some axes or show off what Arthur taught her with the trident. One of the gamemakers tells her she has 15 minutes to present her chosen skill. Ellen Yee is supposed to be the head gamemaker. She’s supposed to be paying attention. She seems to intentionally avoid Dinah’s gaze, though. It enrages Dinah. All the effort the woman went to just to be friendly at that party, but now she thinks she’s above the tributes and untouchable. Dinah decides to show them what Arthur taught her. She grabs a training dummy, some rope, and a thing of black paint from the camouflage station. She ties a noose like how Arthur showed her, writes across the dummy’s chest, and then hangs the dummy in the center of the room so that all of the gamemakers can read the name “Lex Luthor” across its chest. Everyone is shocked beyond belief, but Ellen just smiles at her. Dinah takes a bow and exits without being dismissed.

Helena and Dinah both avoid talking about their private sessions even with each other. Everyone asks them at dinner how things went, but they both give vague answers that don’t at all reveal what they did. Everyone on the team is concerned and on edge as they sit down in front of the television to watch the scores be announced. Selina and Bruce both score 10’s. Dinah feels like she’s going to pass out when the number appears on the screen beside Helena’s face and John Constantine announces that Helena is the first tribute to ever earn a perfect score of 12. All eyes turn on Helena in shock and confusion while John continues announcing scores.

“God, what did you do ‘Lena?” Harley finally asks. The distress in the normally happy voice only sets Dinah even more on edge. Jason earns a 9.

“I made a carving out of one of the wood blocks in the fire building station.” June receives a 5. Victor gets a 6.

“Helena…” Dick’s voice is low and steady. “What did you carve?” A 3 for Atlanna.

“Terra. In the flowers.” Arthur scores a 10. “I needed to hold them accountable. Even just for a moment.” Dinah buries her face in Helena’s shoulder. Nobody speaks. The tributes from 5 both get low scores.

“I wish I could have seen it.” Ivy says finally. “I’m sure it was beautiful.” The morphlings get a pair of 7’s. Dinah shuts her eyes and moves to put her hand in Helena’s. 

The star-crossed lovers score a matching pair of 12’s. 

Everyone is afraid to ask, so Dinah just comes right out and tells them she hung Lex Luthor. Zatanna has to leave the room. Ivy and Harley seem to take it the best. Renee and Dick both look deep in thought while they all sit there silently, but Renee is the first to speak.

“You two get out of my sight. I need a drink.” Renee gets up and heads for the kitchen to raid the liquor cabinet.

“Are we just supposed to go to our rooms?” Dinah asks. Helena turns her head and communicates with her eyes. The roof. They grab a large blanket from a chest in the living room, order their favorite foods, and take everything up to the roof for a picnic. It isn’t as tranquil as a picnic in the meadow back home would be, but it still feels like an escape from everything. They eat; Helena feeds Dinah strawberries dipped in a rich chocolate sauce, and Dinah tosses little cubes of cheeses into the air to see if Helena can catch them in her mouth. They lie together on the blanket in the sun until it sets and pulls the stars over them.

“I wish I could stay in this moment forever.” Helena whispers. Dinah can’t reach her mouth because of how they’re laying, so she presses a kiss to Helena’s jawline.

“Me too.” Eventually they do have to go back inside to sleep for the night. They slip into the apartment quietly and head up to Dinah’s room together. They’re awakened the next morning by Zatanna informing them that their prep teams have arrived to get them ready for the night’s interviews. They reluctantly leave the safety of each other’s arms to go be poked at with makeup brushes and have their hair pulled for hours. Members of Dinah’s prep team continuously have to step out to cry because Ivy made it clear they weren’t to do it around Dinah. They take a break long enough to have lunch, but then they’re right back at it afterwards. When it’s time to go to the interviews, they have an emotional goodbye, tell Dinah how much of an honor it was to be on her team, and then she and Helena are led off to the final event before the games. Zatanna briefs them on the way there that the interviews won’t be conducted in order of district number because President Sionis wants Dinah’s to be saved for last. The tributes will go entirely in order with the exception of Helena and Dinah, who will go at the very end. It feels like a punch in the face to both of them. President Sionis manipulating the order just to hurt them when they’re already being sent off to near certain death is a new level of cruelty. The two of them are tense with anger and sadness as they’re sent to their individual dressing rooms.

“So, what will I be wearing tonight?” Dinah asks as Ivy enters with the large garment bag. Ivy gives her a sad look and unzips it to reveal one of the wedding dresses from her photoshoot.

“I tried to say no, but it’s at Sionis’ request. This is the dress people voted for to be the winner.” Dinah rubs the white silk between her fingers. “I made a few alterations for you, though.”

“Will I be twirling again this year?”

“Absolutely. If John doesn’t ask, then you suggest it… Just make sure you wait until the end.” Dinah looks at the redheaded woman, and for a moment she hesitates, but her courage gets the better of her.

“Was there a wedding?” She asks. “Or was it just an engagement?” Ivy laughs.

“I should have known you wouldn’t let that go. I’m proud to say she’s officially my wife.”

“I’m really happy for you.” Dinah looks at the TV screen on the wall of the dressing room. John is giving a big introduction for the interviews and getting the crowd excited. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, darling.” Dinah turns to fully face Ivy.

“How did you know? Like. How did you know you were in love with Harley?” Ivy sighs, and a smile ghosts across her lips.

“When I couldn’t imagine living without her. When I realized I don’t just want her in my life. I need her.” The answer seems to put Dinah in deep thought, so Ivy gives her a moment to think about whatever she needs to while she double checks that everything she’ll need to get Dinah ready is there. She comes back over when she officially can’t waste anymore time. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

The interviews begin while she’s still getting ready. Selina gets things off to a great start by crying and talking about how she has so many people in the Capitol she never got to say goodbye to and how she wants them all to know she loves them. Zatanna and the other tributes’ escorts are backstage crying, and Dinah finds herself asking Renee if people actually believe all of that. Renee explains to her that every victor is just saying whatever they need to in an effort to stop the games; she urges Dinah to do the same thing. It becomes more apparent Renee is right when Bruce gives a speech about how the Capitol is his family, and he doesn’t think anyone could have ever loved him and Damian better. Jason is less emotional, but he does express his displeasure with the broken promise of victors being safe from the reaping after winning in the most colorful way possible. Victor poses the question that if the Quarter Quell were written into the law by the Capitol, then could it not be unwritten? Arthur makes some moving speech to “his love” about how much he cherishes them and that if he dies in the arena his last thought will be of their lips. Everyone in the Capitol probably thinks it’s a message to them, but Dinah is pretty sure it’s for Mera, the woman Atlanna volunteered for. Diana plays up the emotions, too. She says something about how the creators of the Quarter Quell could never have anticipated the love that would form between the victors and the Capitol. Some of the audience members roar with agreement when she says it would be cruel to sever such a bond. Clark talks about how the people of the districts believe President Sionis is all-powerful, and if that’s true, then why would he not stop the games? All that’s left before she and Helena are the tributes from 12, so Zatanna marches into the room to escort her.

“We are on in one minute! Is she ready?” Ivy makes one last adjustment to the shoulder of the dress and then steps out of the way. Zatanna gasps. “Dinah… You would have been the most beautiful bride. Let’s go show them how really beauty looks, huh?” Zatanna leads her backstage where Diana and Clark are standing together. Diana’s attention is on her stylist attempting to fix something on her dress, but Clark’s face falls the moment he sees Dinah.

“Ivy put you in that?” He asks in shock. Diana looks up and glares. Dinah shakes her head.

“No, never. Sionis is making me wear it.” Diana steps over and offers her the most genuine smile Dinah thinks she’s ever gotten from the woman.

“Make him pay for it.” She says. Their attention turns to the screen on the wall as Helena’s interview begins. She’s in a solid white suit, and Dinah wonders if it’s what she was meant to wear to their wedding, too. She and John share a little bit of light-hearted conversation and joking; the entire audience is absolutely charmed by Helena just as they were the previous year. They only have so much time, so John segues the conversation into what everyone wants to know about.

“Helena, the wedding, the marriage… All never to be. How have you been handling it?”

“Actually, John, Dinah and I did get married. We did it in secret.” The people of the Capitol gasp. 

“A secret wedding? Why?”

“We want our love to be eternal. I have been so fortunate to get to love her, even just for this short time. Winning the games was an accomplishment, of course, but my greatest victory has been that she allows me to love her.” The entire audience, John, and even a few of the other victors hang off Helena’s every word. Dinah’s heart flutters at the knowledge that she means every word of it.

“I suppose you have nothing to regret, then.” John says softly. Helena looks conflicted, and Dinah hears Diana behind her say something about how good she is at these interviews.

“I do have some regrets, John.”

“Would you like to share them with us?” All noise in the room disappears as everyone waits for her to speak.

“I regret that I couldn’t love her longer. That I couldn’t see what great things her sister, Cass, will accomplish. That I couldn’t find home in District 7 with her. That I couldn’t build a life and family with her. My greatest regret, though, is that you all will never get to see our love prosper in the way I know it would have. I would give anything for Dinah and I to have loved and be loved by you all.” The audience melts, dissolving into tears instantly. Dinah shakes her head in awe. Helena pulls the crowd in so well. It’s amazing to watch.

John tells her how much they all wish they could have, too, and then he bids her farewell. As soon as Helena is out of sight, he announces Dinah, and she heads up the ramp onto the stage. The crowd is standing and applauding and screaming with excitement for her arrival, but Dinah can tell they’ve spent the entire night crying.

“Dinah Lance everybody! Isn’t she stunning?” John yells. The crowd goes quiet for him to speak. “Now, Dinah, tonight is very emotional for all of us here. Is there anything you want to say?” She takes a deep breath and tries her best to get a fake tear or two going.

“I have so much I want to say. So many thanks to give and goodbyes to say. I could never fit everything into this short interview.” John nods sympathetically.

“I understand. I know, as Helena has just informed us, that the two of you were married in secret.” The crowd murmurs in agreement. “But would I be correct to assume that if you had been able to hold your wedding here in the Capitol this is the dress you would have worn?”

“Yes. President Sionis thought everyone would like to see it.” John grins and faces the crowd.

“President Sionis, as always, was right. Wasn’t he?” He shouts. The audience matches his excitement. John gestures towards the center of the stage to Dinah. “It’s so gorgeous. Would you please do us the honor?” Dinah steps forward and finds Ivy in the sea of Capitol people sitting between Renee and Harley. She gives Dinah a nod to do it.

Dinah begins to twirl for them, and the crowd sounds so pleased. She watches as the flames flicker about the bottom of the dress. Her eyes narrow, though, when she realizes the synthetic flames are moving up the dress. Beautiful black silk is left behind in its wake. The flames seemingly destroy the wedding dress, leaving her in a fitted black dress instead. She feels a new weight on each of her arms and lifts them. The entire crowd stands, getting the loudest they have all night. Black wings with white patches spread out to her sides.

“Oh, it’s got feathers!” John says. “You’re like a bird. Like a- uh-”

“A mockingjay.” Dinah states. John makes a comment about how great her stylist is and gestures to Ivy in the audience, telling the crowd to give her a round of applause. Ivy takes a small bow for them all. Dinah just stares at her; she can’t even fake a smile. _I prefer to channel my emotions into my work. That way I never hurt anybody but myself._ Dinah is sent around backstage and up onto the large platform all of the other tributes are standing on. She gives Helena a soft kiss on the lips and takes her hand. John is attempting to rein in the crowd so he can close out the show. Helena turns spontaneously and offers her hand out to the female victor from 12 beside her. The anthem begins playing as all of the other victors seem to take note of Helena’s action, and suddenly they’re all joining hands together. They raise their arms up together in a total show of unity, and the crowd grows even louder, but not with cheers. They boo and yell for the cancelling of the games as the tributes make the first public show of unity among all 12 of the districts since the first rebellion. The lights are cut and every screen around them goes black. Disorder follows immediately. Victors and their teams are led to the elevators by pairs of peacekeepers. Only people on the same floor can be in the elevator together. Dick and Zatanna slip away with a promise of finding out what’s going on. Ivy tells Helena and Dinah to go sit somewhere and wait for their return.

“They won’t cancel the games.” Dinah whispers after almost half an hour of silence. Helena doesn’t say anything. Not even a moment later, Dick, Renee, and Zatanna walk into the room together and approach the two tributes.

“It was all a good effort, but the games are still on.” Dick tells them sadly. 

“Harley and Ivy have been sent home for the night. You’ll see them right before you enter the arena tomorrow, though. So you’ll have your chance to say anything you need to.” Renee adds.

“I have something.” Zatanna says, holding out three black boxes. “Presents for Helena, Dick, and Renee. Your tokens.” Renee holds up the gold bangle from her box. Dick examines the intricate gold mockingjay cufflinks in his. “Helena, yours is the medallion we talked about.” Dinah watches as Helena turns it over in her hand and then looks up to meet Zatanna’s eyes.

“Thank you, Zatanna. For everything.” The escort can’t stop a few tears from falling as her bottom limp begins to tremble.

“We are a team, aren’t we?” She pulls Helena into a hug. “I am so proud of both of you. You will both always be my victors.” She hugs Dinah, and when she pulls away she takes one of each of their hands in hers. “You both deserved… so much better. I am truly sorry.” She leaves the room quickly as she begins to sob. Renee hugs Helena, and Dick pulls Dinah into one, too.

“Don’t give up.” He whispers for only Dinah to hear. The mentors swap to hug their own tributes. Dick bids his farewell to Helena and leaves with tears in his eyes.

“Any last advice?” Dinah asks when Renee steps back. The woman thinks for a moment before smiling.

“Stay alive.” Renee goes to leave the room, and something occurs to Dinah. She rushes up to her and grabs her wrist.

“Remember our deal.” She whispers. “Do whatever it takes. Keep her alive. Please.”

“Okay.” Renee nods. “Dinah, when you’re in that arena… just remember who the real enemy is, alright?” She walks away before Dinah can ask what she means or even say okay.

Dinah and Helena lay in bed together throughout the night in silence. They just hold each other through a cycle of sleeping and waking from dreams. Dinah has her face tucked into the crook of the neck as she thinks about the week. Everyone they’ve come to know. Everything they’ve done. Everything they are. She has a hand across Helena’s chest, fingers tucked just under the collar of her shirt. She runs her thumb back and forth along Helena’s clavicle in sync with how Helena is rubbing a hand on her back. She feels safe. The fact that it’s the last time she ever will feel safe is merely an afterthought. She isn’t worried about it. All she needs is Helena.

“I don’t want to be with anybody else in there.” She whispers as the sun comes up outside the window. “Just you.” She props herself up to look her in the eyes.

“If that’s what you want.” Helena whispers.

“I just want you.” Dinah confirms. There’s a knock on the door. Ivy and Harley have arrived to accompany them to the arena. Tributes must enter alone, though, so when Dinah and Helena pull apart it’s the last they’ll see of each other until they’re in there.

“I’ll see you soon.” Helena tells her. 

Dinah and Ivy don’t say much beyond simple greetings, and then they head out to board the hovercraft together. Dinah has her tracker put in, and they head on their way. Ivy makes her keep drinking water during the trip, but she can’t get her to eat. Dinah knows nothing she eats will stay down; she’s far too nervous. When they reach the launch room, Dinah gets into the fitted jumpsuit that has been selected as the tribute outfit.

“It’s a light suit. Nothing thermal. If I had to guess, you’ll either be in tropics or desert.” Ivy says. The announcement for 60 seconds to launch goes off overhead. Dinah just stares at her as the woman fixes the gold mockingjay pin to the suit.

“Ivy… that dress was beautiful.” Her deep green eyes light up as she smiles.

“I thought you might like it.”

“I think it was the best you’ve ever made. I needed you to know.” This voice announces 30 seconds until launch. Dinah takes a shaky breath. “Thank you. If I don’t-”

“Stop that.” Ivy says. She pulls Dinah into a hug. “I love you. I’m proud of you.” She pulls back and puts her hands on Dinah’s shoulder, looking deep into the younger girl’s brown eyes. “And I am still betting on you, Girl on Fire. Don’t you dare forget that.”

“I love you.” Dinah whispers. 10 seconds.

“Tell Harley I love her, okay?” Ivy says as Dinah steps into the tube. The words don’t register with her until the glass is sliding shut. She turns to look at Ivy in confusion. Why would she say that? Why isn’t the plate rising up yet? Ivy shakes her head. “It’s okay.” She says as the door to their launch room opens and two peacekeepers storm in. Dinah’s whole world stops as Ivy turns and is met with metal-studded gloves to the face. She starts screaming and banging against the glass as the two peacekeepers take turns hitting Ivy with their gloves and batons. Dinah tries as hard as she can to get through. To reach her. To help her. But nothing works. The peacekeepers are completely unfazed. There’s blood on the ground and splattered against the glass. Ivy has stopped moving, but Dinah has not stopped screaming. As they grab Ivy by her arms and drag her limp body out of the room, Dinah feels her plate begin to rise.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so a few quick things. i wanna remind everyone that this fic has canon-typical violence for the hunger games. im not one for writing anything too graphic, but i do want to just give that reminder that they are going into an arena to fight to the death with other people so it obviously wont be pretty.
> 
> now then, i am sorry for how i ended the last chapter. and i am even more sorry for how i ended this chapter.  
> ive had this chapter ready for awhile but i wanted to give yall a little time to let that ending sink in because this chapter is... a lot. its been a minute since we had one of these, but behold! another 10k word chapter! we got romance. we got action. we got angst. we even got a lil comedy. its all here. i really had fun with this chapter and so im hoping yall really enjoy it.

Dinah forces herself to straighten up and tries to catch her breath. She has to squint because of the brightness of the arena. It isn’t bright in the general way sunshine always is; it’s bright all around. The realization that the light is reflecting off waves in front of her hits Dinah the moment her eyes focus. She feels terrified and sick and nervous, and she knows that is exactly how President Sionis wants her to feel. Chas Chandler’s voice is greeting them overhead and beginning the sixty second countdown, but Dinah is still fighting to gather herself. She wants to curl up on the platform and give up. Ivy wouldn’t want that for her, though, and that’s what keeps Dinah from collapsing. She can’t do anything to help Ivy now, but she can help Helena. She looks around at all of the other tributes. Everyone is gathered in a circle, standing on platforms surrounded by water. The cornucopia is on a rock in the middle of the water with spokes sticking out from different sides, two tributes between each spoke. Everyone will have to swim. Dinah can see Arthur and Clark and Zsasz, and the woman from District 8 is in her wedge, but Helena is out of her sight. She’s sure they’ve been separated intentionally. She can see a bow in the heart of cornucopia waiting for her, though.

When the gong goes off, Dinah dives directly to her left and heads to the spoke nearest to her. She isn’t as good of a swimmer as some of the other tributes probably are, especially Arthur, but she has been swimming plenty of times with Oliver. She pushes herself to go as fast as she can manage. She pulls herself up onto the rocky spoke the moment she reaches it and takes off towards the cornucopia at a sprint. She manages to reach the cornucopia first somehow, maybe pure power of will and adrenaline. The bow is in her hands, arrow drawn, in an instant. Bruce stutters to a stop on the spoke as she aims at him. He dives into the water, but the arrow manages to hit him directly in the calf as he goes. Dinah senses someone near her and spins around to take them out next.

“You’re a hell of a swimmer, 7.” Arthur says. He raises his arm to show Renee’s gold bangle on his wrist and grins. “Glad we’re allies.”

“Where did you get that?” Dinah demands. She and Helena never actually picked their allies, so Dick and Renee must have done it for them. 

“Where do you think?” Arthur says. “Duck.” Dinah reacts purely on instinct and drops to the ground. Arthur’s trident whizzes over her head and pierces the torso of the male tribute from District 8 with a sickening sound. Arthur goes over and pulls the trident out of his body like it’s nothing. “I’ll take this side. You cover that one. Don’t trust Zsasz, Jason, or either from 1.” He disappears around the cornucopia. Dinah isn’t exactly happy about the unplanned alliance, but there’s no time to question it. She throws a sheath of arrows over her shoulder and prepares to hold her ground. Selina has reached land, and she’s getting too close for comfort. Dinah fires an arrow at her, but the woman is expecting it and dives to her right to avoid it. Arthur comes back around the side. “Atlanna found Helena. Grab what you need and let’s get out of here!” There’s next to nothing outside of weapons in the cornucopia, but Dinah does grab a machete, extra arrows, and then a set of throwing knives for Helena before following Arthur around the back of the structure.

“Shit,” Dinah shouts as they race down the spoke to where Atlanna is. She’s pointing towards a commotion in the water right beside one of the metal podiums. Dinah takes aim, hoping to get a clear shot at the male tribute from 10 as he and Helena struggle against each other, but there’s no way she can guarantee she won’t hit the girl she’s trying so desperately to protect. Arthur dives in to go aid Helena, or drown her; Dinah isn’t quite sure she can trust him yet. Just as he hits the waves, Helena and the man go under the water together. A few seconds pass, and then a body floats to the surface. Dinah can’t see who it is. Her heart has completely stopped beating, but it jolts back into gear as Helena surfaces, gasping for air. She and Arthur swim over to the spoke Dinah and Atlanna are standing on together.

“Did you miss me?” Helena asks with a cheesy smile. Dinah gives her a kiss and hands her the belt of knives and the machete.

“The few hours without you have been agonizing.” Dinah quips. Just beneath the sarcasm in her tone is endearment, and it’s enough to make Helena’s smile widen.

“The pack just reached the cornucopia. We need to get out of here quick.” Arthur says as he hoists Atlanna up onto his back as if she weighs nothing. He leads the way down the rocky path in the opposite direction of the cornucopia. The spokes meet sand where the water ends. The beach is small all around the arena, though. It’s about 20 feet long before it ends abruptly and turns into a jungle. Arthur stops to let Helena and Dinah take the lead. The jungle is full of trees and bushes and vines, vegetation of all kinds is everywhere, and it’s unreasonably humid. Dinah can already feel the jumpsuit sticking to her skin from sweat. They run for about a mile before Arthur requests they stop so Atlanna can rest for a moment. They crouch down together to avoid detection from anyone who may be in the same general area as they are.

“We’ve got to find fresh water.” Helena says. All four of them are hot and sweating, and moving to the beach won’t be a viable option for quite awhile, if it ever is at all. The cannon goes off three times in a row. Most of the tributes hadn’t even made it off their platforms when the four of them gathered, so it was as if they had a head start. They had chosen to head deeper into the arena for cover and safety, but the other pack, Bruce, Selina, Jason, and Zsasz, had probably unleashed hell on every tribute that wasn’t fast enough to escape.

“Sounds like nobody is holding hands anymore.” Arthur says. The cannon goes off again, and he laughs.

“Yeah, real funny.” Dinah’s tone easily gives away her annoyance.

“Listen, these people will all be hunting us down. Every single time that cannon goes off it is music to my ears because it means I have one less person I need to be worried about.” He stretches his arms and stands. “We should keep moving. See if there’s any kind of water source nearby.” He pulls Atlanna back onto his back, and they head onwards through the jungle. Helena takes the front, cutting in foliage out of the way with the machete, while Dinah hangs back to provide cover for Arthur and Atlanna.

The jungle is dense, and Dinah finds it unnerving. On paper, it should be just like the woods back home: trees, bushes, flowers, wildlife, maybe some ponds or other water sources scattered about. It isn’t like the woods back home at all, though. The wildlife, from the birds to the bugs to the small game, all sound completely different. The woods are silent, but the jungle is alive and buzzing and rustling at all times. The vines hanging down from nearly every tree makes it impossible to see far ahead. Dinah keeps turning around and to her side, ready to shoot any surprise attacker she wasn’t able to detect, as they head up the hill. She thinks the jungle is already playing tricks on her when she sees the faint shimmer ahead. It could be heat or light or allusion, but Dinah realizes it is none of those things too late. She cries out to try and give a warning just as Helena brings her machete down against the forcefield. The zap on contact is like a crack of thunder. Helena is sent flying back, knocking Arthur and Atlanna down as she goes. 

“Helena?” Dinah falls to her knees and puts her head on the girl’s chest. Where she usually finds a steady and comforting heartbeat, she instead finds silence. “Helena!” She jerks around to look at Arthur and Atlanna. “She isn’t breathing! She’s not- Helena!” 

“Move!” Arthur shoves Dinah away. She slides backwards in the soft dirt and is sure Arthur is about to finish Helena off. She draws an arrow as she gains her footing and is fully prepared to let it pierce the man’s heart, but then she sees what he’s doing. She’s seen her mother do it before. He’s going back and forth between breathing air into Helena’s mouth and pumping his hands against her chest. Dinah sinks back to the ground as she watches the scene unfold before her. “Come on, Helena!” He grunts. “Don’t give up on me now.”

“Please, Helena.” Dinah whispers, voice cracking. She’s about to tell herself it’s too late when Helena coughs roughly. Her eyes open slowly, like she’s a bit out of it, but she focuses on Dinah. Arthur falls back to sit on the ground and catch his breath. Dinah brushes hair from Helena’s face with one hand and puts her other against Helena’s neck, feeling her pulse to make sure she isn’t dreaming. “Helena?”

“There’s a- a forcefield… ahead. Watch out.” Helena mumbles. Dinah laughs, but it gets cut off by a broken sob. 

“Oh my god, Helena.” Tears are pouring from her eyes as she leans in to kiss her. “You were dead! Your heart stopped. You were dead.” She sobs. Helena smiles at her.

“I’m okay. It’s working now. Please don’t cry.”

“Do you want to try standing up?” Dinah asks as she tries to get control over her emotions. 

“Yeah. Stand.” Helena says. Dinah runs her fingers through the dark brown hair a few times and then helps her up slowly. The moment Helena is to her feet Dinah pulls her into a tight hug. She shakes and cries in her arms while Helena reassures her that everything is okay. When Dinah finally feels calm enough to let go, she finds Arthur looking at them like he’s perplexed by something. He shakes his head and looks at Helena with a hint of concern.

“Are you okay to keep moving?”

“No!” Dinah answers. “She needs to rest.” Helena puts a hand on Dinah’s shoulder and gives it a squeeze.

“We can keep moving. We may need to slow down a little, but I can manage.” Dinah wants to object, but she’s aware they aren’t in a good place to be stopping for the whole night. She gathers some small rocks, twigs, and nuts from the ground and leads the way, tossing the objects against the forcefield to make sure they’re walking along it and not into it. After a bit, she decides to stop and check a theory she has in mind. She tells the other three to wait while she climbs to the top of a large tree. When she gets to the top, she draws an arrow, and fires it into the sky. The arrow hits the top of the forcefield and sends a wave of shimmers out in every direction.

“The forcefield is a dome.” She says when she gets back to the ground. “We’re at the edge of the arena. I didn’t see any sign of fresh water.” Arthur nods.

“We should set up camp. It’s going to be dark soon. I can take first watch.” Dinah wants to tell him no. He’s more than capable of killing her and Helena, especially with the state Helena is in. Them being asleep just makes it that much easier. He did save Helena, though. He could have let her die, and Renee and Dick trusted him, so Dinah holds off on her objection, hoping the show of good faith will pay off.

Atlanna falls asleep in no time come sunset. Helena tries to stay awake while she converses with Arthur and Dinah, but by the time it’s completely dark she has succumbed to her exhaustion. She falls asleep with her head in Dinah’s lap and Dinah’s fingers curled in her hair. Every now and then, she’ll shift and her brow will furrow. Dinah knows the signs of Helena’s nightmares, so she does her best to gently hush and whisper to comfort her without having to wake her.

“How is she?” Arthur asks. Dinah glances over at him.

“Just dehydrated. Like we all are.” She says, even though she knows he wasn’t asking how she was doing physically. The anthem plays overhead, and the sky lights up with the face of the woman from District 5. The male morphling, both tributes from 8, the woman from 9, the man from 10, and the women from 11 and 12 are who follow. Eight victors dead on the first day. All four of the people they need to look out for most are alive still, as well as Victor and June, and Diana and Clark. Dinah wonders how many friends Arthur is learning he lost. The distinct sound of an incoming parachute gets Dinah’s attention before she can dwell on it. The silver canister lands right in between she and Arthur. Dinah grabs it and twists it open. There’s a small metal rod looking thing in it as well as a note from Renee that says “Y’all looked thirsty. -R.” 

“I think it’s a spile!” Dinah says, louder than she meant to. Helena sits up with a start and Atlanna blinks awake behind them.

“What’s a spile?” Arthur asks. Dinah ignores him and runs to a large tree nearby. She uses a rock to hammer the spile into it and waits patiently. All four of them practically burst with excitement as a steady stream of water starts flowing through it. They take turns drinking from it by holding their mouths open under the stream until they’re decently hydrated. Dinah uses a thin vine to tie the spile to Helena’s belt when they’re done. She lies down against Helena, just a few feet from Atlanna, to sleep while Arthur takes the first watch. 

Dinah is awakened by the sound of a gong repeatedly going off. Helena stirs, but she and Atlanna both stay asleep. She waits for some kind of announcement or something to happen, but the only thing she sees is a massive bolt of lightning striking one of the biggest trees in the arena.

“12. What is that for? Midnight? The number of districts?” Arthur asks. Dinah shrugs.

“I have no idea.” She pulls away from Helena carefully. “You should rest. I can take watch for a while.” He nods and lays down in the space between the other two. Dinah can’t shake how grateful she is to him that Helena’s face didn’t appear in the sky earlier. “Wait - Arthur?” He turns his head to let her know he’s listening. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” He says with a soft smile before turning back to lay down. Dinah watches as the lightning strikes every so often, and then she can hear the rain that comes with it a couple hundred yards away. A cannon goes off at some point during it, but Dinah doesn’t think much of it. The rain never reaches them, and eventually it just stops completely. Only moments after it stops, a fog starts making its way through the trees. It’s a pinkish grey color, and something about how it moves isn’t right. Dinah reaches out to touch it but immediately regrets that choice. Her hand blisters painfully, sending her to the ground.

“Run!” She yells as she pulls herself up and stumbles towards her allies. “The fog is poison. Run!” All three of them are up in an instant. Helena takes off down through the jungle with Dinah; Arthur is right on their heels with Atlanna on his back. They dash through the trees and over obstacles as fast as they can, but the fog is seemingly matching their pace. It’s a struggle for any of them to just stay upright as the mist catches a little of their skin from time to time. It doesn’t just cause their skin to burn; it also makes their nerves twitch. Helena’s leg gets caught in the fog as she goes to jump over a log. She collapses to the ground in agony. Dinah does her best to help her up and keep moving, but they don’t have time.

“I can’t carry her!” Dinah cries out. Helena may be shaped like a stick, but she’s all muscle. Dragging her back home from the square required Dinah and Renee to do it together. There’s no way Dinah can carry her. Arthur looks broken and desperate as he drops to the ground beside them. They don’t have time to form a plan. Atlanna slides off of his back, takes his face between her hands, and presses a kiss to his forehead. She turns and walks towards the fog.

“Atlanna?” Arthur calls. She steps right into the fog and out of their view. “Atlanna! No!” He screams as the cannon goes off.

“Arthur! I’m so sorry, Arthur, but we have to go!” Dinah tells him. He snaps out of it and the two of them stand, pulling Helena with them and moving as fast as they can to escape the fog. Every step is painful as it closes in on them. They fall in a small patch of open space. Dinah turns over and watches as the fog nears them. She’s sure it’s the end of all three of them. Atlanna is dead and they will be too and she will have failed. The fog stops, though, and builds up like it has hit a glass wall. Dinah tries to crawl towards where Helena and Arthur are collapsed together on the ground. She spots something gleaming in the moonlight, and turns to look closer. It’s a small spring. She reaches out tentatively to dip a blistered hand in. It hurts like hell for a moment, but then comes the relief. When she pulls her hand back it looks normal.

“The water! It helps!” She calls out to them. Helena manages enough strength to move towards the spring. Both of them dip themselves in. It’s torturous to do, but it’s worth it. Once they’re both well enough, they work together to drag Arthur into the spring. He tries to fight back as he touches the water, but Helena holds him still with ease. Dinah looks around as Arthur calms down. They’re incredibly vulnerable. Helena takes one look at her and seems to read her mind.

“I’ll grab you two’s weapons.” She says, stepping out of the water and going to grab the bow and arrows and trident. She brings them back a moment later and lets them know she’s going to tap a tree and get them some clean drinking water and then she’ll be right back. Arthur sits up in the water, looking much better. Dinah hesitates, unsure of how to say what she wants to.

“I’m sorry about Atlanna.” She tells him. She doesn’t even understand what the last day has been. Arthur brought Helena back to life when he could have let her die. In order to win, he may have to kill her anyway, so it doesn’t make sense that he wouldn’t take such an easy opportunity. And Atlanna walked into the fog without hesitation, sacrificing herself for them like it wasn’t even a question. Arthur smiles sadly.

“She was never going to make it out of here anyway.” He looks up like he’s going to say something else, but then he freezes. Dinah follows his gaze. There are large monkeys, at least twenty of them, gathered around them on the ground and in the trees, watching intently. Dinah and Arthur both stand carefully. Dinah draws an arrow while Arthur readies his trident. Both of them are suddenly very grateful Helena got up to get their weapons when she did. Dinah looks around them slowly. They’re close to the beach. If they make a run for it...

“Helena?” She calls softly.

“Yeah?” Helena responds from a couple yards away. Dinah sees the top of her head over the bushes. She’s close enough to them. They can do it.

“Walk over here slowly.” Helena turns back and yanks the spile from the tree. When she looks up, a monkey is right in front of her and shrieking in her face.

“Holy shit.” She whispers. She steps backwards carefully until she feels Dinah touch her back. She turns and looks around at the scores of monkeys gathered around the three of them. “The beach?” She asks, keeping her voice low.

“It’s our best bet.” Dinah says. The monkeys start to get a little louder and are moving more. Helena holds the machete up for protection, and Dinah wishes she would have grabbed Helena a sword at the cornucopia, too. The machete is better than nothing, but it isn’t nearly as effective as a sword, or even a spear, would be.

“Nice and easy.” Arthur whispers. The monkeys seem tired of waiting for the humans to make the first move, and they launch into attack mode. They move far faster than natural and seem to have an attack strategy. It’s obvious as the three of them work to take down monkey by monkey that they’re dealing with mutts. They’re overwhelming them, and just as Dinah turns to tell the other two that they have a clear path to the beach, one of the monkeys pins her under the water. Dinah uses her bow to hold it back, but it’s stronger than she is. It’s snapping jaws get closer to tearing through her neck every second. The monkey is pushed off of her just in time. Helena grabs Dinah’s hand to help her out of the water.

“We gotta go!” Helena yells. The three tributes make a break for it through the trees with the monkeys right on their trail. One comes out of a bush, sending Helena and Dinah flying in different directions. It targets Dinah, but Arthur is there with his trident to kill it. A separate monkey jumps down in front of Helena, cornering her on the ground. Dinah thinks, for the third time already in the arena, that she’s about to witness Helena’s death. Someone comes out of the tree from what seems like thin air, though. The morphling girl throws herself into the monkey, and it sinks its teeth into her chest. Helena stabs the monkey with the machete and kicks it off the girl. Arthur and Dinah reach her as she lifts the morphling in her arms, and they sprint to the beach. The moment their feet hit the sand the monkeys give up the chase and retreat into the jungle.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Helena says. She’s standing in the water with the morphling girl in her arms and Dinah right beside her. Dinah turns her attention to them once it’s clear the monkeys are no longer a threat. The girl is gasping for air and her eyes are full of pain. The puncture marks from the monkey’s fangs look like they’re in a serious spot. There’s nothing they can do for her. “It’s okay. Shh.” Helena attempts to console her. “You wanna see something amazing? Just look up. Look.” The girl looks up into the sky as the sun is rising over to them. She seems to calm down a little at the sight. “Isn’t it incredible? I mean, look at all the colors. The oranges and yellows. The purple fading into blue. Don’t worry about anything except the colors.” The girl reaches up and paints a flower on Helena’s cheek with the blood on her hand. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.” Helena whispers. The girl tries to smile but struggles for breath again. “It’s okay. We’re right here with you.” The girl’s chest falls after Helena’s words, and it doesn’t rise again. The cannon goes off. Helena lets go of her body, allowing it to be carried away by the waves. She and Dinah go back to the beach and watch as the hovercraft comes to retrieve her body.

“She sacrificed herself for me… and I didn’t even know her name.” Dinah turns to look at Helena. Part of her is confused because she didn’t clearly see what happened, but another part of her thinks of Atlanna.

“You think she sacrificed herself?”

“It looked like it.” Helena says with a shrug.

“It doesn’t make any sense.” Dinah whispers. When they reconvene with Arthur, she offers to take watch while he and Helena sleep. Arthur brushes her off and insists he take watch. Dinah is ready to argue about it when she sees the slight redness of his eyes and the look of unshed tears. She lets it go and lays down to sleep beside Helena, allowing Arthur privacy to grieve Atlanna.

It’s mid-morning when she wakes up. Helena is sitting in the sand and talking to Arthur while he fishes with his trident. Dinah goes over to join them. About three steps from Helena, she realizes the girl hasn’t noticed her approaching. There’s so little time left for pranks and enjoyment in their lives that Dinah can’t resist. Arthur turns to look over at Helena just as Dinah screams in Helena’s ear. She jumps sky high with yelp. Arthur laughs so hard he slips in the water and falls backwards. The combination of the annoyed expression on Helena’s face and Arthur spitting out saltwater as he surfaces, still laughing, has Dinah cackling. 

“Oh, you think that’s funny?” Helena asks, closing in on Dinah. “I’ll show you funny.” Dinah can’t compose herself fast enough before Helena is pulling her to the ground and pinning her down as she tickles her. Dinah begs for mercy through her laughter and Helena grants it. She falls back into the sand beside her. She chuckles, but it fades into a sigh as she stares off in the distance, past the cornucopia, but not at anything particular. It’s odd to have fun in an arena where you’ve been sent to die. Where people have died. The Hunger Games aren’t fun, and Helena’s stomach turns as she thinks about the morphling girl and Atlanna and Barry and Terra. She feels like she just danced on their grave; she feels like she just danced next to the empty graves she and Arthur are going to be in before too long. Having to bend over backwards to try and appease President Sionis was hell, but Helena would gladly return to it if she could. She doesn’t want to die and she doesn’t want to lose Dinah. But it’s just like Harley told her before sending her up into the arena: the people and things we love and believe in are worth the biggest sacrifices. Harley had been teary-eyed and seemed to be talking about more than just Helena giving her life to protect Dinah, but the message was still true and relevant. Helena feels heavy with guilt and grief and sorrow. She wishes they had actually been able to freeze that moment on the rooftop and live in their sunset picnic for eternity. She doesn’t notice Dinah sit up in the sand next to her. Dinah leans forward to look at Helena. She’s completely zoned out it seems, but her brown eyes are filled with trepidation. Dinah turns to see if Arthur is watching. He’s gone back to fishing, so she reaches out and nudges Helena’s shoulder.

“Hey, look at me.” She says softly. Helena’s eyes snap to her in an instant, and her whole body seems to relax. Dinah tilts her head in concern. “Where did you go just now?” Helena blinks a few times and shakes her head.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me.” Dinah whispers firmly. “You looked scared.”

“I’m okay.” Helena tries to reassure her. “I was just thinking.” Dinah wants to push a little and ask what about, but she hears Arthur walking towards them. She turns to see him holding his trident with three fish on the end. 

“You two hungry?” He grins with pride, and leads the way over to where the treeline meets the beach. He built a small campfire in the middle of the night for them to cook over. Dinah works on starting the fire while he descales the fish. Helena crouches down and watches the jungle to make sure nobody, other tributes or the monkeys, make a surprise appearance. Arthur nods his head towards two baskets he wove out of some kind of jungle plant and a silver parachute by them. “My district sent bread. I think it’ll go well with the fish. And I made the baskets last night to keep myself awake. Helena filled one with fresh water this morning when she woke up, and then the other she filled up with shellfish and whatnot while I built a sandcastle.” Dinah looks around the beach in confusion for a moment.

“Where’s your sandcastle?”

“Helena kicked it over.”

“I did not!” Helena snaps, jerking around to face Arthur. Dinah’s fire gets going and she sits back to watch in amusement as the two former careers glare at each other.

“Then what would you call you putting your foot through it?”

“Helena,” Dinah says dramatically. “How could you do such a thing?” Helena groans in frustration and taps her forehead against the tree next to her. Arthur just laughs and sets up a spit over the fire with the three fish.

“Did you two have some of the bread while you were in 4?” He asks, changing the subject for the sake of Helena’s head. Dinah nods.

“We got to have the bread in every district, I think. Either 4 or 11 were probably my favorite.”

“I loved the bread in 11 on my tour. But this,” he tells them as he opens the parachute to take the bread out. “Tastes like home.” He breaks the small loaf into three pieces and offers one to each of them.

“Are you sure?” Dinah asks. She would understand if he wanted to keep it for himself. Anyone could be dead within the hour. If she received bread from District 7 she isn’t sure she would be willing to share it with anyone but Helena. 

“I’m positive. We should share what little semblance of home we have for as long as we can.” Dinah and Helena both take the pieces, offering their thanks as they do. They sit in a comfortable silence, enjoying the taste of the fresh bread. It’s crust is tinted green from seaweed and is slightly salty. Dinah can’t help but think about how much she didn’t want to trust Arthur, and he knew. She could tell by the way he had looked at her and how he held his trident defensively as they trekked the jungle that he knew she thought about putting an arrow through his skull at least once every half hour. He had never made a move like he was even thinking about attacking first, though, and continued to trust Dinah and Helena. He saved Helena’s life, and though Atlanna sacrificed herself, Dinah knew with one look in that moment that if he had to pick he was going to save Helena from the fog. She realizes as he whistles casually and starts pulling the fish away from the fire that she will never be able to repay the debt she owes him. 

They eat their fish and joke around together like old friends. They talk about the food in the Capitol and their favorite shows to watch when they do decide to turn on the television. They talk about their hobbies and how Dinah hunts and Helena carves and sculpts and Arthur goes fishing. They talk about their families and friends and how much they miss them. About homes at least two of them, if not all three, will never get to see again. Helena cracks open an oyster and then holds something out to Dinah.

“For you.” Dinah opens the palm of her hand and lets Helena set a black pearl in it. 

“Thank you.” She says with a hint of surprise, earning her a smile from the taller girl. A scream on the other side of the arena has all three of them standing with their weapons at the ready. A massive wave comes crashing down through an entire wedge of the jungle. The sound of the water rumbling as it comes down the slope, snapping trees of all sizes in its wake, is more terrifying than they could have expected. The wave has gotten significantly smaller by the time it reaches the cornucopia, splashing straight up into the air, but the water coming back down is forceful enough it sends a series of waves that reach up every inch of beach. Dinah, Helena, and Arthur watch in complete shock as it puts out their fire and reaches up to their ankles. A cannon goes off to signal that only 11 tributes remain now. Dinah looks to the right to say something to Arthur, but then she sees a trio stumbling out of the jungle and onto the beach about two spokes away from them.

“Someone’s here.” She warns while pulling an arrow from her quiver. Arthur squints at them, but then his face lights up with recognition and he takes off towards them at a light jog.

“Diana!” He shouts. She turns around at the sound of her name and holds out her arms.

“Arthur!” Dinah and Helena jog over to join them as Diana pulls back from Arthur and starts explaining why they’re all three covered in blood. “We were deep in the jungle. All the way back there, you know? We thought it would be safe. It started raining. I thought it was water at first, but no. It was blood.”

“Tick tock.” June says, stumbling over to Diana.

“It was coming down, choking and gagging us. We were stumbling around like idiots, completely blind to our surroundings.”

“Tick tock. Tick tock.” Diana steps away from June, taking a deep breath to compose herself as she does.

“That was when Clark hit the force field.”

“Fuck.” Arthur whispers. “I’m so sorry.” Dinah looks over to see that the final member of the trio is Victor, who has taken to the water to wash the blood off himself.

“Yeah, just glad it happened fast. Pissed at him for leaving me with these two, though.” 

“Tick tock.” June says to her. 

“Yeah, Nuts, we know. Tick tock.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Dinah asks. Victor approaches from the water.

“She’s in shock.” He tells them. June is still repeating the phrase over and over to Diana, but the District 10 victor has enough quickly and shoves her to the sand, telling her to sit down.

“Hey! Lay off her!” Helena moves at Diana like she’s going to attack. Arthur steps right between them, though.

“Lay off her? Why do you think I even have them with me?” Diana shouts. “I got them out of that fucking jungle for your stupid little girlfriend, and I lost my best friend doing it.” Arthur pulls her away and into the waves. He does it to separate her and Helena before things get ugly, but it gives him an opportunity to help her wash all of the blood off herself.

“Why would she get them for me?” Dinah asks. Helena shrugs, anger seemingly leaving her body as she reaches down to help lift June from the ground..

“I mean, you did say you wanted them as allies.” Dinah throws her bow over her shoulder and goes to help guide June into the water to help her get washed off, too.

“Tick tock.” Dinah can tell the woman is trying to communicate something to her, but she doesn’t know what.

“Yeah, tick tock. I hear you. Let’s get you cleaned up, okay?”

Dinah is washing out June’s hair, and Diana stands a few feet away from them cleaning off her axe. Arthur is talking while Victor wraps up some metal coil he has. Helena is with them on the short, but her eyes are fixed on Diana, making sure she doesn’t move like she’s planning to hurt Dinah even in the slightest. Dinah isn’t a particularly big fan of the woman, but she doesn’t think it would go over well with everyone if Helena buried a throwing knife in Diana’s skull. Everyone seems to have calmed down for the most part. Diana glances at Helena out of the corner of her eye, and then looks over to meet Dinah’s eyes.

“Your lovesick little puppy looks like she wants to go completely feral on me.” She says with a light laugh.

“Don’t call her that.” Dinah snaps. Diana raises her hands as a sign she’s backing off. “What does Victor have?”

“Some kind of coil. He took a damn knife to the back getting it from the cornucopia, so I guess it must be important.” She pauses for a moment, looks at Arthur, and then looks back to Dinah. “How did you guys lose Atlanna?”

“In the fog. Helena collapsed. Atlanna just… sacrificed herself. Climbed off Arthur’s back and went right into the fog.” Diana shakes her head and looks down at her axe.

“She was his mentor, you know? Half his family.” Diana’s tone is somewhere between sad and accusing. In any other scenario, Dinah would probably pick a fight over it, but she doesn’t know how close Diana and Atlanna were, and on top of that Diana lost her best friend already. She lets it go.

“Tick tock,” June says, jerking up suddenly. “Tick tock.”

“I can’t be around her right now. Have fun with Nuts, Girl on Fire.” Diana says as she heads for the shore. Lightning strikes the massive tree on the other end of the arena. Dinah thinks about how it hit the same tree last night right after the twelve bongs around midnight. She looks up and sees the sun in the center of the sky; it must be noon.

“Tick tock.” June says, turning to look up at Dinah.

“Tick tock…” Dinah whispers. “It’s a clock. Holy shit, June you’re a genius! It’s a clock!” Everything makes sense finally. June seems overjoyed that someone finally understood what she was trying to say. The two of them jog in towards the shore. “We need to move.” Dinah tells the rest of them.

“What? Why?” Arthur asks.

“The arena is a clock. That’s what June has been trying to tell us. At 12, the lightning strikes the tree. The blood rain at 1, poisonous fog at 2, monkeys at 3, and it goes on and on. As long as we’re in a wedge, we’re in danger.”

“So we go to the cornucopia?” Victor suggests. “Map out what we can from the safety of it and formulate a plan from there?” The rest of the group nods in agreement. They gather their weapons and other items and head for the nearest spoke. Helena and Arthur lead the way up and down the spoke to the rock the cornucopia rests on in the center of the water. Victor surveys their surroundings once they’re on it, but his attention seems focused on the tree that the lightning hits. June sits down on the edge of the rocks, singing some nursery rhyme about a mouse on a clock. Helena scavenges the cornucopia for a better close range weapon than their machete since it’s slightly bent from its impact with the forcefield. Dinah, Arthur, and Diana discuss the layout of the arena. Victor and Helena listen, but they don’t really join in. June just keeps on with her song. Arthur uses the handle of his trident to draw out the map of what they know in the black sand around the edge of the cornucopia. Helena emerges from the cornucopia with a sword in hand and Victor gives his full focus to the map they’re making.

“10 o’clock was the wave.” Arthur says, adding it to his drawing. “I guess a good plan for now could be to stick to the cornucopia and the wedges we know what happens in. We just have to make sure we’re out of them when those things occur.” There’s a beat of silence, but that’s just the problem. June has stopped singing. Dinah spins around, drawing an arrow because she knows what’s happening, and fires an arrow straight into the neck of Zsasz. He drops the knife he used to slit June’s throat, and both of them fall back into the water. Two cannons go off as Diana pushes Dinah out of the way and buries her axe into Jason’s chest, stopping him from charging the younger victor. Another cannon fires. Selina tries to take on Arthur and his trident with a spear. Helena makes an attempt to back him up, but a sword swings out and she barely ducks in time to avoid taking it to the neck. She swipes a leg out to knock Bruce to the ground. He drops his sword and it slides off the rock and into the water. He uses his strength to his advantage, though, and throws his whole body into Helena. The two of them hit the hard rock just as it begins to spin beneath them. Everyone who is standing is sent tumbling to the ground. Arthur and Victor both hold onto the cornucopia. Dinah and Diana are forced to try and find a part of the rock they can get a grip on. Helena uses the momentum and kicks Bruce into the water. She’s barely able to catch the ledge at the end of the rock to stop herself from flying in after him. The rock slows to a stop. 

“Shit,” Arthur says, getting to his feet. Dinah races over to where Helena is barely hanging onto the ledge and helps pull her up onto the rock. Helena coughs violently but gives a thumbs up to signal she’s okay. Dinah helps her up while Arthur and Diana survey the area. Bruce and Selina have both made it to the shore and are heading into the jungle. The bodies of June, Jason, and Zsasz all float around the water, soon to be picked up by a hovercraft.

“Let’s get off this island.” Diana grumbles. They don’t have any idea what time it is or which wedges are which. There are three large trees visible around the arena. The one with the lightning was mostly distinguishable from the others because of the tail of the cornucopia pointing at it. With the cornucopia spun around, there’s no way of telling where they’re headed. Diana gets to make the gut decision since she’s leading the way.

“Who’s left?” Dinah asks when they reach the beach and are gathered in the shade of the trees.

“Bruce and Selina plus one other person.” Helena says. “I don’t know who it could be, but I think it’s either the guy from 5 or the guy from 9.”

“I’m not worried about either of them, and Bruce and Selina probably won’t attack us now that they’re so heavily outnumbered.”

“So what? Do we hunt them down?” Diana asks. A scream cuts anyone off from responding. Dinah’s blood runs cold at the sound. She’s up and running into the jungle before anyone can stop her, ripping through bushes and vines and branches as fast as possible. She has to reach the source of the screaming because that scream is so unmistakably Cass’.

“Cass!” Dinah yells. She hears someone chasing after her, but she doesn’t care who it is. The screaming repeats, just over her head, and Dinah freezes where she is. She looks up and shoots an arrow into the bird. The screaming stops before it even hits the ground.

“Dinah! Are you okay?” Arthur asks as he reaches her.

“Arthur!” The scream is shrill and his eyes go wide. Dinah tries to stop him, to tell him it isn’t real, but he’s running deeper into the jungle after the sound.

“Mera!” He shouts. All Dinah can do is chase after him. He stops, and she gets in front of him.

“Arthur, it’s just a jabberjay. It isn’t her.”

“Dinah,” he says, eyes lit up with pain. “How do you think they got that sound? Jabberjays copy.” Oliver’s voice yells for help above them, and Dinah and Arthur take off in the direction they came. They have to get out of there. Dinah sees Helena, Diana, and Victor standing in the jungle waiting for their return and waving their arms wildly at them. Half of Dinah is pissed Helena didn’t come to help her while the other half wants nothing more than to be in her arms and hearing her voice tell her that everything is okay. She finds out why Helena didn’t rescue her when she runs right into a transparent wall. It’s unyielding, but Dinah can’t stop herself from throwing her arms against it. The screams just get louder and more painful to listen to as the jabberjays flock to them. Cass, Mera, Oliver, Laurel. Dinah even thinks she can hear Helena and Diana’s screams thrown in, too. She hits the wall over and over, panicking and trying to escape. Helena gets just as desperate and swings her sword into the wall repeatedly in an effort to save them. Diana has to pull Helena back to get her to stop, but Helena returns to the wall as Dinah sinks to the ground. Helena kneels down right next to her, and Dinah can see her yelling to her, but she’s covering her ears and trying to drown everything she can out. It’s agony in its clearest form.

Dinah knows its over when she feels Helena’s hands pulling her into her body. She trembles in Helena’s arms. Her hands stay over her ears with an iron tight hold and she keeps her eyes squeezed shut. She can hear Helena speaking in that soft and reassuring voice she always does, the one that makes Dinah feel loved and safe and like she’s home, but it still takes forever before the words actually start to make sense and register to her.

“It’s okay. Cass is okay. They’re all okay. You’re okay.” Helena tells her. Dinah looks at her finally. “They wouldn’t touch Cass.”

“Your fiancé is right. The whole damn country loves your sister.” Diana says. “If they did anything to her? Forget the districts. They’d have riots in the fucking Capitol.” She looks up into the air. “How does that sound, Sionis? Huh? What if we set your backyard on fire? Whole country in rebellion? Then what? You can’t put everybody in here!” She looks at the whole group and shrugs. “What? Not like they can hurt me. There’s no one left I love.” She huffs. “I’ll go get you both some water.” She walks away, but Dinah is left shell shocked by her words. Nobody says things like that during the games. Ellen Yee is probably personally ensuring the people in the districts and the Capitol never see that moment. For all her faults, Dinah has to admit the woman is gutsy.

Arthur goes to sit in the water by himself when they return to the beach. Helena sits close to Dinah, who feels like if they aren’t touching in some way she’ll fall apart. Victor sits down on the other side of Helena. After a moment, Diana comes around the corner with a shell filled with water and hands it to Dinah as she sits beside her.

“Mera is the girl Atlanna volunteered for, right?” She asks. Diana nods.

“Yeah. She won like, four, or I think it was five years ago. She’s the one who went a little…” She doesn’t have to finish. Dinah knows who she’s referring to. Mera was the girl who lost it after she saw the other kid from her district get beheaded, and then she only won because she out-survived the remaining tributes. All of the people in the Capitol at his disposal, and the person Arthur loves is a mad woman back home. Diana sighs. “Love is weird.”

“I have a plan.” Victor states suddenly. Diana calls Arthur over to join them. “Bruce and Selina are in the jungle because we’ve taken the beach. If we head into the jungle, they’ll move to the beach, or at least the treeline. The 10 o’clock wave will soak the beach and the treeline in just a few hours. Then what happens at midnight?”

“Lightning.” Helena answers.

“Booyah,” Victor confirms while grinning. “I say we head to the lightning tree at dusk. Before midnight, we run this coil from the tree to the water. When the lightning strikes the tree, anyone in the water or on the damp sand will be electrocuted.”

“How do you know the wire won’t burn up?” Diana asks.

“Because I invented it. It won’t burn up. Trust me.” Victor says. Everyone shrugs or nods to each other. It’s better than trying to hunt them down. They agree to the plan with ease, and from there it’s just a matter of waiting until it’s time. Dinah and Helena find themselves sitting alone beneath the trees as the sun is setting. Arthur is twirling his trident down the beach, and Diana and Victor went off to get water.

“I think we need to go.” Dinah whispers. “I think this plan will work, but what happens once the careers are dead?” She glances over at Arthur. “I don’t want to be the one to shoot first.”

“I don’t want to separate while Bruce and Selina are still out there. We should stay with them until midnight. If we hear a cannon, then we go.” Helena says. Dinah hesitates, wanting to leave immediately, but nods in agreement anyway. Helena sighs. “Dinah, I don’t… I don’t know what kind of deals you might have made with Renee, but she and Dick both made me promises, too.” Dinah watches as she pulls her gold medallion Zatanna gave her off of her neck. “If you die, and I live… I won’t have anything. You’re already everything to me.”

“Helena…” Dinah whispers. She doesn’t like where this is going.

“Things are different for you. You have people who need you.” She opens the medallion and hands it to Dinah. Opening it revealed three photos. Cass laughing on the couch in the middle. Her mother standing in the kitchen cooking on the right. Oliver smiling over a cup of hot cocoa on the left. After the jabberjays, it’s almost enough to break her. “You have to live, Dinah. For them.”

“But what about you?” Dinah asks. It’s been the question following her since they stepped out of the arena: What about Helena? The photos are of her family and Oliver. It’s clear what Helena means. She wants to give her life for Dinah, to let her have Oliver, and she never wants Dinah to doubt or regret letting her do so. Helena is trying to give her everything. Helena looks out over the water and smiles softly. 

“Nobody needs me.” She says easily. Her brother is dead. Her parents disowned her. Renee and Dick and Harley have all lost tributes before. Helena is forgetting one important detail, though. If she dies, Dinah will be damaged beyond repair.

“I do. I need you.” Dinah says. She’s never felt more sure of something. Helena looks like she’s going to argue, like she’ll say something about Cass or Laurel or Oliver, and Dinah can’t let her do that, so she leans in and kisses Helena. She’s kissed Helena and Oliver both multiple times, but something is different this time. Something in her chest is so warm, and it makes every fiber of her being electric. Her hands are on either side of Helena’s face. She feels Helena’s own hand ghost up her arm to rest on her wrist as Dinah deepens the kiss. After having nothing for all her life, someone would think Dinah Lance knows hunger, but it’s actually when she has everything that she comes to know it best. In the months she has known Helena, she’s only ever struggled to explain, and even understand, how she feels, but suddenly it’s there on her tongue begging to be let out. She pulls back and rests her forehead against Helena’s, and she whispers, so that only Helena can hear it, not the cameras or the gamemakers or the districts or the Capitol or even President Sionis, just Helena. “I love you.” 

Helena’s face shifts completely. Her brow furrows, and her eyes fill with this pained hope that Dinah isn’t sure she could ever really describe. It’s like she’s holding her breath. Like she’s waiting for there to be a “but.” Helena truly doesn’t understand how Dinah could love her; Dinah doesn’t see how she couldn’t. She puts a hand around the back of Helena’s neck, allowing her fingers to drift up into the girl’s hair. Dinah can see the question in her eyes of if it’s real. If she means it the way Helena wants her to. And Dinah nods.

“Alright lovebirds,” Diana shouts, pulling them from their moment. “Time to go!”

The anthem plays while they’re on their way to the tree. They stop to watch and pay their respects to June and Atlanna in a way, but they ignore the rest and continue on. Victor wraps the coil tightly around the tree while talking about how dangerous it will be to be anywhere near the tree when the lightning comes. He turns and holds out the coil reel to Dinah and Diana. He gives very specific instructions on what to do once they’ve got the coil down to the beach.

“I’ll go with them to cover them.” Helena says.

“No, no. There’s two careers. I need two guards.” Dinah feels unsettled by them being split up, and she can tell that Helena feels just as negatively.

“Why can’t Diana and Arthur take the coil? Or Diana and Arthur guard you? Either one.” She asks.

“Is there a problem here?” Arthur asks. 

“I don’t know. Is there?” Helena asks, levelling her gaze at Victor. He takes a step back from Dinah, suddenly realizing he’s too close for comfort. Dinah can see the way Helena wants to cut their losses and run before it’s too late. Her hand twitches near the knife belt, and Dinah knows Diana and Arthur see it, too, because they both set their feet to defend themselves if necessary. Dinah knows how wrong it feels to separate at this point, but they made their decision when they didn’t leave earlier. Not doing whatever the plan requires could cause more problems at this point. She reaches out and puts a hand on Helena’s shoulder to draw her attention away from Victor.

“It’s okay.” She tells her. “I’ll see you at midnight, alright?” Helena’s jaw shifts, and Dinah wishes she had a way to make all of her worries disappear. She kisses her, and then turns to follow Diana to the beach.

“Dinah.” Helena calls. She turns back to look at her. “Just come back to me, okay?” Dinah smiles.

“Always.”

They walk halfway down the slope without saying much to each other. Diana pulls the coil until they get about halfway, and then they trade off. Diana is making some comment about how Volts better not have miscalculated because frying isn’t how she plans on dying. Dinah freezes, though. The coil seems to have gotten stuck somewhere because it suddenly isn’t letting her pull on it. The wire springs down at them suddenly; someone above them had to have cut it. Dinah sees Bruce approaching and goes to pull an arrow from her quiver, but something hits her on the head and she’s sent straight to the ground. Her head is pounding and her vision goes blurry as Diana pins her down and sits on her chest. She feels a sharp pain in her arm. It becomes excruciating as Diana digs around in her arm with her knife. She feels a bloody hand glide against her face, and then Diana is off of her.

“Stay down!” She whispers, and then she’s gone. Dinah lays there, suffering through the pain and awaiting blood loss to take her. Diana and Arthur must have had a plan to turn against them. She knew they should have left earlier. The alliance is broken; she and Helena are fair game. The thought of Helena has her struggling to stand. She has to protect her. Helena probably doesn’t even know she’s in danger, yet.

“Diana, where are you?” Arthur shouts. Dinah hides up against a large mossy rock for him to leave the area, and then she moves as fast as she can manage to the tree. Helena is nowhere to be found, but Victor is curled up on the ground at the base of the tree. Dinah runs over to him and finds he’s still breathing and has a deep gash at the crook of his elbow. There’s a stick with part of the coil wrapped around it near him, and maybe fifteen or twenty paces away from them is the shimmering of the forcefield. A cannon goes off and Dinah stands in a daze and a panic.

“Helena!” She screams. Someone comes running through the bushes at the sound of her call, but it’s someone much larger than Helena. It’s either Bruce or Arthur. Another cannon goes off. She ducks behind a bush and draws her arrow as Arthur emerges.

“Dinah! Where are you?” He yells. He looks around for a moment, and then he spots her with the arrow drawn and aimed at him. He raises his hands to show he isn’t going to attack. “Dinah, remember who the real enemy is.” She lowers the bow as the sky starts to light up and the sound of thunder begins. She looks up to where the forcefield is visible because of the light. “Get away from that tree!” Arthur shouts. Dinah gets it, though. She understands what Victor was trying to do. She takes a strand of coil and ties it to the head of one of her arrows. She aims straight up for the top of the dome. Arthur yells for her to stop and charges at her, but her decision has been made. She lets the arrow fly, pulling the coil behind it, and when the lightning strikes the tree Dinah is thrown by the explosion and everything around her goes white. She manages to open her eyes to find the claw of a hovercraft coming down to grab her. As it lifts her, all she can think is that death is not what she was expecting it to be.

The next time Dinah opens her eyes she finds herself on a hovercraft like the ones that deliver tributes to the arena. She pulls the oxygen mask from her face and stands, grabbing a syringe from the medical kit near her. She approaches a set of doors she can hear voices coming from behind. 

“But will she still cooperate?” Dinah knows that voice; it belongs to the head gamemaker, Ellen Yee.

“Without Helena? There’s no guarantee.” Renee says. The doors slide open to reveal Renee, Ellen, and Arthur gathered around a table together. Dinah feels nothing but betrayal. She charges Renee with the syringe, but she’s still weak from blood loss and the explosion, so Renee disarms her easily. “We couldn’t tell you anything while Sionis was watching. It was way too risky, sweetheart.”

“Where’s Helena?” 

“Dinah, you have been our mission from the very start. The plan was always to get you out. Half the tributes were in on it.” Ellen tells her. “This is the revolution, and you are the Mockingjay. And we are on our way to District 13 right now.” Dinah’s brain feels fried. 13 is supposed to be blown to bits just like she and Helena were supposed to be in their first games. She should have more questions about 13, but Dinah’s mind is on one thing only.

“Where is Helena?”

“Her tracker is still in her arm. Diana cut yours out.” Renee says.

“Where. Is. She?”

“The Capitol. They got her and Diana.” Dinah launches herself at Renee again, slapping her across the face as she’s overcome with sobs.

“You promised! You said you would save her over me! You bitch, you promised!” She feels something poke her in the back, and her body starts to get tired in almost an instant. “You’re a liar.” She cries out before her world goes black.

Waking up the second time is better, but only because when Dinah opens her eyes she finds Oliver sitting on the edge of her bed. His face is bruised, and he has bandages around one of his arms that she can see beneath the sleeves of the weird all grey outfit he’s in. He smiles at her, and it’s the same smile he’s given her for years, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Hey Canary,” he whispers. “You’re okay. Just been sleeping for a few days.”

“Are we home?” She asks. He looks like he’s about to cry, and Dinah suddenly feels far more awake. “Where’s Cass? And my mom?”

“They’re alive. I got ‘em out in time.”

“Got them out?”

“After the games… they sent in hovercrafts.” Oliver tells her. “And started dropping fire bombs.” Dinah can’t even fully comprehend what he’s trying to say.

“They aren’t in 7?” She asks. Oliver takes a breath, and his lower lip quivers a little as he tries to build up the nerve he needs.

“Dinah…” 

“No. Don’t. Please.” She doesn’t want him to say it. She doesn’t want it to be real. She already lost Helena. She can’t take much more. He shakes his head and looks unbearably apologetic.

“There is no District 7.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it took us 105,371 words, but dinah finally told helena she loves her. just to get ripped away from her a few hours later. fuckin rough.
> 
> if you would like to yell at me about that or anything else in this chapter (because damn there is a lot to yell about) then you know where to do it! if you dont, then the answer is the comments! also if youre enjoying the fic and havent done so yet please leave a kudos. the support from yall means a lot. as always. thank you guys for reading.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that last chapter was Something huh? this one is 9k words. we almost hit 10k. so close.   
> anyway. the stakes are being raised. if you thought you experienced pain in previous chapters then youve got a big storm coming.  
> best of luck. thank you for reading. please enjoy.

Dinah wakes with a start, hands trembling and heart racing. She pushes her blanket aside and throws her legs over the edge of her bed in the med bay. She lowers her head and buries her face in her hands. She can still see flashes of the dream. Helena’s smile, Helena’s lips, Helena’s hands, Helena’s eyes, Helena. She was there holding Dinah and then she was dead in the jungle and then she was laughing with Cass and then she had an axe buried in her chest and then she was kissing her and then she was dropping to her knees with an arrow in her chest and then her eyes were filled with love as she looked at Dinah and then her eyes were empty and lifeless as she lay at the feet of a peacekeeper in District 11 and then District 2 and then District 7 and then the Capitol. Dinah squeezes her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to make everything stop. Her grip on the small black pearl she keeps in her hand while she sleeps tightens.

“Start with what you know. What you know is real,” she whispers to herself. “My name is Dinah Lance. My home is District 7. I was in the Hunger Games. I escaped the Quarter Quell. Helena… Helena was left behind,” she sobs. “Helena was left behind and Arthur and I…” The thought of Arthur draws Dinah back to reality a bit. Sometimes she’s angry at him; sometimes she isn’t. He understands much of her pain more than anyone else in District 13 can, though.

Dinah slowly gets out of the bed and wanders over to her door. The people working the med bay are strict, and she isn’t particularly a fan of their overly gentle and pitying tones, so she does her best to avoid them when she can. It’s late enough at night that when she pokes her head out the door to look down the hall nobody is present. She breathes a sigh of relief and makes her way down the dimly lit hall to room 1040. Arthur is there, sitting up on the edge of his own bed, seemingly unable to sleep as well.

“Arthur.” Dinah doesn’t call his name loudly, but her tone is firm and his head snaps up in her direction. He stops fiddling with the rope in his hands he’s probably spent all night tying and untying knots in. His eyes show how tired and emotional he is. 

“I wanted to go back.” He whispers. “For Helena and Diana… I wanted to go back for them. But I just… I couldn’t move.” His hands go back to tying an intricate knot in the rope, but his eyes stay fixed on Dinah. She walks over to his bed and sits down beside him. “And now they have Mera. The Capitol… They took her, too. She’s in the Capitol.” He looks down at his rope for a long moment before speaking again. “I wish she was dead… I wish they were all dead and we were, too.” Dinah doesn’t know how to respond to him at all, so she just sits there. They stay like that, sitting in silence under the glow of faint orange lights, for a few hours before Dinah returns to her room to try to sleep again.

Cass visits Laurel whenever her schedule allows it. Laurel and Oliver do, too, but things are easier with Cass. Somehow, the kid seems to be holding it together better than the other two are. The schedules of the people in 13 are strict, so when she does see them it normally isn’t for very long until evening. Cass has a longer break than usual from her work, so she and Dinah decide to play Go Fish on her bed. It’s mind numbing and boring, but that’s what Dinah needs more than anything. Being alone in a room in the med bay has quickly become agonizing. She can’t wait for them to let her move out of the med bay.

“Miss Lance,” a deep voice calls to her. Dinah turns to find a man she’s never met in her life in the doorway. He somehow manages to look gentle and gruff at the same time. “I’m Colonel Hal Jordan. Head of security here in District 13. You’re being discharged later today, but President Gordon has requested to meet with you before then.”

“Is there news?” Dinah asks. They’ve been waiting for some kind of word about where Helena and Diana and Mera are or if they’re even alive. It’s been radio silence. 

“I’m just her to escort you, ma’am.” Dinah nods and gets up from the bed. She hands her cards to Cass, leans over to kiss her forehead, and allows Colonel Jordan to lead her out of the room and to the elevator. The wall of the elevator is glass like the one at the tribute center, but instead of a brightly lit city it reveals a multitude of floors separated by concrete and stone. The elevator looks out across the large circular opening leading all the way down to the very last floor. Countless people bustle about each floor as they go to and from work and home and meals and anything else they may do with their time. 

“I always heard that District 13 was nothing.” Dinah says. She’s somewhat in awe of the sights before her since it’s her first time outside the med bay.

“The Capitol bombed the surface to ash and rubble.” Hal tells her. “But we’re military, so we learned to survive down here. Preparing and training… The war never stopped for us.” The elevator stops a few floors from the bottom and opens to an empty corridor with a series of rooms around it. Hal leads Dinah forward and opens the door into the room directly in the middle. There’s a long and bright table with chairs all around it like it’s some sort of meeting room. Victor sits at the end of the table closest to the doors. Dinah hasn’t seen him since leaving the arena, so his metal and cyborg-like arm and wheelchair are both unexpected sights.

“There she is! Our Girl on Fire.” Ellen Yee says as she and a grey-haired woman, who must be President Gordon, walk to join Dinah and Victor at the end of the table. Ellen gives a warm and friendly smile, but Gordon looks stoic and vaguely disinterested. “Madam President, may I present you with The Mockingjay.” The older woman offers her hand out to Dinah.

“It is such an honor to meet you, Dinah. You’re a courageous young woman. I understand this all is probably very disorienting, and I cannot begin to imagine what it’s like to survive the atrocities of the Hunger Games.” Her tone is sincere, but Dinah still doesn’t trust it.

“Dinah, this is President Barbara Gordon.” Ellen introduces. 

“I hope you’ll be able to find some comfort and feel welcome with us. We’ve known loss in 13, too.” Gordon tells her before going to sit beside Ellen across from Victor.

“This is history right here at this very table.” Ellen tells them all. Gordon nods and gestures for Dinah to join them. She sits to victor’s left, just a few feet from the other two women.

“I would have liked to give you more time to recover, but unfortunately that is a luxury we cannot afford right now. Are you aware of what has happened?” _You abandoned Helena,_ Dinah thinks. She shakes her head. Gordon leans forward just a little. “When you fired that arrow up at the forcefield you electrified the entire nation. There have been uprisings and strikes and riots across seven of the districts already. If we can keep this energy going, then we believe we can unify the districts against the Capitol. If we let it disappear, if it fissiles out, then it could be another 75 years before we get an opportunity like this one. We have to act on it. District 13 is ready for this.”

“Is Helena alive? What about her?” Dinah asks. Ellen frowns sympathetically.

“I don’t know. I wish we did. I haven’t been able to contact my operatives back in the Capitol, though.”

“Communication between the districts has always been suppressed by the Capitol.” Victor speaks up. “I know the system really well, though. I found a way to break through. We just need the perfect message now.”

“What we need, Dinah, is to show them all that The Mockingjay is alive and well,” Ellen says. “That she’s willing to stand and fight. Because we are going to need every district in this fight to stand against the Capitol. The same way you did. The plan is to shoot a series of clips, propaganda basically, though we’ve been calling them propos for short, about The Mockingjay. It spreads the word that we’re going to help keep this fire going. The fire that was started by The Mockingjay.” Dinah is unfazed by their pitch. In fact, it only serves to make her angrier. They want her to be a symbol for their rebellion, but they couldn’t be bothered to do the one thing she asked them to.

“You left her there.” Dinah says. The bite in her tone has Gordon drawing back a little, but the woman doesn’t look surprised or scared or worried by it in any way. “You left Helena in the arena to die.”

“Dinah, there are so many-” Dinah slams her hand on the table, effectively silencing Ellen’s excuse.

“She was the one that was supposed to live!”

“Miss Lance, this revolution is about everyone. About all of us. And we need a voice.” Gordon tries.

“Then maybe you should have fucking saved Helena.” Dinah snarls. She gets up from her chair and swiftly exits the room. If she can’t have Helena, then they can’t have her. She wants nothing to do with their revolution. It doesn’t stop them from continuing to try and sway her, though. By the time she has gathered her few things into her bag in the med bay, Colonel Jordan is back in the doorway for her. He tells her that, if she’s willing and wants to do it, they’ll be taking her to District 7. Dinah agrees without hesitation and slings her bag over her shoulder. He takes her to a large hangar with several hovercrafts in it. Oliver is standing next to one waiting, and she rushes into his arms.

“Can’t believe you said yes to this.” He tells her. He pulls back and gives her a serious look. “You can say no. You don’t have to.”

“I need to see it for myself.” Dinah says. Oliver just nods understandingly and leads the way up into the hovercraft. The trip to District 7, or what remains of it at least, is shorter by hovercraft than by train even though the Capitol is far closer than District 13. They’re there in just a couple hours, arriving sometime early in the afternoon. The hovercraft lands, and Oliver and Dinah both stand as the walkway begins to drop down. 

“They sent a team ahead of us to sweep everything a few hours before we left, so you’ll be safe. I know this was President Gordon and Ellen’s idea, but you can still say no if you want. We can turn right back around.” Oliver offers once more. Dinah just shakes her head. She knows he’s trying to protect her, but that’s been an impossible task for everyone since she volunteered for Cass. “Okay. Do you want me to come with you or you want to go alone?” He asks.

“I’ll be okay.” Dinah says. “Don’t worry, Ollie.” He grins at the nickname and gestures with his arm for her to head down the metal walkway.

District 7 is nothing but collapsed buildings and rubble. A mix of ash and dust and lingering smoke blows through the air. The whole place smells awful. No longer is it the familiar and welcoming scent of pine and sawdust; all that’s left is the distinct smell of charred and decaying wood. Dinah looks around for a sign of life she knows she won’t find. She heads down the road to the center of town. The markets and saw mills and homes, even the Justice Building, have all been absolutely obliterated. Blown to pieces, as Sionis would probably say. Something crunches under her foot, and Dinah feels sick when she moves her foot to find a skull beneath it. She steps up over a pile of rubble to get a view of the square and the Justice Building, and then she immediately regrets doing so. A sea of charred skeletons and bodies in various stages of decomposition fill the square. Oliver never wanted to talk about it, but Cass and Laurel let Dinah know that the vast majority of people in 7 didn’t make it out. Cass’ classmates, Laurel’s friends, people at the markets and sawmills they all knew. Some people were saved, but not nearly enough. Dinah drops to her knees, shaking and crying at the scene. Cass’ classmates and friends, Laurel’s friends and patients, Oliver’s coworkers, Sal and his wife… Dinah can’t bear to think about how many of them were lying before her. Of how it is because of her that they were.

Eventually, she finds the strength and composure to push herself up from the ground and move on. She’s surprised when she comes across the completely untouched Victor’s Village. The houses all still stand tall, even hers and Renee’s. Dinah wonders if they were left as a message for her. She doesn’t have the energy to try and decode it, though. Her house is just as she left it. None of the furniture is moved, all of the pictures are still present, bottles and jars of herbs and medicines sit in a box on the kitchen counter. Dinah finds her jacket hanging near the staircase and pulls it on. The uniform grey everyone in 13 wears is a dreary sign of conformity that she’s happy to abandon even just for a moment. Her hunting bag is there, too, so she pulls it over her shoulder and begins filling it with things her mother and Cass may want. She grabs medicines and herbs and a picture of her father for her mom and Cass’ sketchbooks and the picture of her parents holding her as a baby for her. She looks for her mother’s book or Cass’ favorite deck of cards or anything else she can think of but finds nothing. Upstairs she notices something unusual in Cass’ room and pushes the door open to look closer. A dark purple sweatshirt rests on the edge of the bed, and Dinah reaches out for it without hesitation. She raises it to her face and feels like she could lie down and sob for hours when she breathes in the familiar smell of Helena. The girl must have forgotten the sweatshirt when she returned to District 2 for her reaping, and Cass found some sense of comfort in it while they were in the arena. Dinah tucks it into the bag after a moment and makes her way back downstairs. She glances at the open doorway in the hall, ready and content to leave without venturing through it, but she can’t resist the urge.

The office is neat and pristine aside from the thin layer of dust that has begun to gather on the furniture in it. Her mother always kept the room clean despite the fact they didn’t really use it. The only time it ever actually got any kind of use was when President Sionis visited to threaten Dinah. She walks over the bookshelves all along the wall and has to brush away a tear before it can trail down her cheek. Beautiful wooden statues, hand-carved by Helena, are scattered all over the shelves. There’s at least a dozen, likely more. Deer and dogs and fish, trees and flowers… Dinah’s fingers run along the side of the perfectly carved mockingjay. For all of Panem, the bird is a symbol of Dinah and revolution, but for she and Helena it has only ever been a painful reminder of Terra and all they’ve lost. Dinah knows if she learns they’ve lost each other the carving will be unbearable to look at, but she stills puts it in the side pocket of the bag. She’ll take any piece of Helena she can get anymore. She turns to exit and freezes immediately. There’s a vase of flowers on the desk, once regularly attended to by Laurel but now dried and withering away. In the middle of them, though, is a perfect and untarnished silken white rose. She lifts it up in confusion, and then drops it almost as soon as it’s in her hand. In the very place where he threatened her for the first time, President Sionis has left a message for Dinah. The rose is fresh, and clearly meant for her. He wants her to know he can find her. That he can reach her. He wants her to know he could be watching her in that very moment, and there is absolutely nothing she can do about it.

Dinah leaves the room, and the house for that matter, as fast as she can. She signals to Oliver that she’s ready so he can have the pilot land. There’s nothing left for her in 7; there’s nothing left for anyone in 7. All that remains is a message to Panem, and an even bigger one to her. Oliver greets her with a gentle smile as she walks on board to the hovercraft. It doesn’t meet his grief-filled eyes, though. Neither of them say anything about it. They just sit down in silence for the hovercraft to take off again. It isn’t an awkward silence. Everything with Oliver still feels like it did when she left for the most part. Their home being incinerated and the country on the cusp of a war Dinah started and Helena being kidnapped, or probably dead at this point, both caused their fair share of tension between the two of them, but they navigated it the best they could. When the hovercraft lands back in the hangar of District 13, Oliver and Dinah head down a stairwell to Compartment 508. There’s an elevator they could easily take down to the correct floor, but it looks too much like the glass tube that Dinah was trapped in while Ivy was dragged away, beaten and bloody. Oliver doesn’t push when she says she would prefer the stairs. He tells her during their descent that the compartments are bland and nothing special, most are smaller than the homes in District 7 were, but they’re better than nothing. They stop at the door, and for a moment Oliver looks like he wants to say something serious, but he just lets Dinah know dinner will be in half an hour in the dining hall and tells her to let Cass and Laurel know he says hi. 

Dinah slides the door open and steps in cautiously. The walls are a light grey, almost white color, and the beds are basically just bunks attached to the walls. There’s a table and some chairs against the wall by the door, a closet to the left of the beds, and a chest for storage. Everything is mostly metal and just varying shades of grey. It’s a considerable change from the Tribute Center or the Victor’s Village, but Dinah supposes it’s better than staying in the med bay. Laurel looks up from the chair she’s sitting in by the table and rushes over to wrap her arms tightly around Dinah.

“It’s so good to have you home,” she whispers. When she pulls back Cass is there beside them and raises her hand to give Dinah a fist bump.

“She’s been going stir crazy with only one of us to boss around.”

“That is not true.” Laurel laughs. Dinah’s lips tilt up in a small smile for a moment, but it doesn’t linger. She opens up her bag and moves over to the table to set the items down as she retrieves them. She sets the sketchbooks, all of the herbs and medicines down first, and the two pictures. Cass grins as she sits on the edge of the bottom bunk and flips through her designs and ideas and drawings. Laurel traces her fingers over Dinah’s father in the picture, but her smile drops when Dinah pulls out Helena’s sweatshirt and her mockingjay carving.

“I, uh. I looked for your book, but I couldn’t find it.” Dinah whispers. Laurel turns around and grabs something sitting on the bed next to Cass and holds it out for Dinah with a sympathetic look. Dinah takes and runs her hand along the spine and the cover.

“I couldn’t just leave it there. We didn’t know what might have… It’s a piece of her. I made sure I brought it when we left.” Laurel whispers. Dinah doesn’t know what to say. Cass comes to rescue her from the emotional moment by telling the two of them all about her day. She rambles on until it’s time for dinner. 

Dinah has been receiving all of her meals directly to her room during her stint in the med bay, so it’s up to Cass and Laurel to lead the way to the dining hall. They go through lines to get trays of bland and unseasoned food before finding their way to a table Oliver is seated at and waiting for them. Dinah is surprised at first to see Arthur sitting next to him, but then again she shouldn’t be. Arthur has nobody. Renee locked herself away in anger to sober up since there is no alcohol in 13. Dinah hadn’t been told anything about Dick, but she figured out on her own that he isn’t in 13. Annie and Diana are in the Capitol with Helena… so all he has until further notice is Dinah. He and Oliver seem to be getting along well, joking back and forth and sharing stories. Cass joins in excitedly. She’s never met Arthur before, but she clearly thinks he’s very cool. Dinah just listens to them and tries to force down at least a little food. 

Arthur is in the middle of an extravagant story about him catching a massive fish when he was younger when the anthem of Panem begins playing over the speakers of the dining hall. Everyone goes quiet and looks up to the television screens in the center of the room. District 13 has managed to get the feed from the Capitol to make sure they’re always up to date on what’s happening in the districts and the Capitol. It’s usually just propaganda or ominous messages from President Sionis about the price of treason, so when John Constantine’s shows up on the screen, sitting in a dark yellow cushioned chair in some office-like room, it’s both a welcome and concerning change. 

“Hello, and good evening. I’d like to offer a warm welcome to everyone across Panem. I’m John Constantine,” he greets. “Whoever you are, whatever it is you’re doing - if you’re working, put down your work, and if you’re eating dinner, stop having dinner - because this, tonight, is something you are going to want to witness. There has been rampant speculation about what really took place during the Quarter Quell, and here to shed a little light on the subject for us is a very special guest.” Arthur and Dinah’s bodies both go rigid at the words. The camera pans to another chair across from John, and Dinah feels like she may faint. Helena sits there in a solid white suit, and though she’s battered and bruised from torture in all of Dinah’s nightmares, on the screen she appears fresh-faced and composed, seemingly glowing. “Please welcome, Ms. Helena Bertinelli.” Dinah starts to get up from her seat. She can’t believe what she’s watching. Oliver glances at her in concern, but his attention quickly turns back to the screen. Their entire table is shell-shocked by the sudden appearance of the girl from District 2. “Now Helena, many people feel as though they’ve been left in the dark.”

“Yeah, I uh, I know how they feel,” she says with a bit of an almost forced laugh.

“Set the stage for us, why don’t you. Talk us through what really happened on that final, and controversial, night.”

“The arena… it was like being trapped in steaming air. All around you are monsters and people that want you dead. A jungle of horrors or a beach where the people who are out for your blood can find you so easily. The clock ticking away the moments left of your life… Nothing you’ve ever loved is supposed to be with you in there. Everything from before you entered the arena should cease to exist. You should be left with nothing but empty pink skies and jabberjays and muttations and the cold iron of a weapon in your hand… But that wasn’t the case for me. What I love the most in the world was in there with me, and you have to understand, when you’re in the arena you only get one wish, and it’s always so costly.”

“You’re alive,” Dinah whispers as she comes to a stop just a few feet from the screen. She can feel the tension in the room. The tension all across Panem. Nobody has ever spoken so candidly about the Hunger Games, about what it’s really like to be in there, and people are surely leaning into their TVs around the country to make sure they hear every word. Dinah doesn’t care about that, though. She knows the games. She knows the price. All she cares about is Helena on the screen right before her eyes.

“It costs your life.” John says. Helena shakes her head.

“No, it costs more than your life.” John looks at her in confusion.

“What do you mean? What could cost more than your life?” Dinah watches the slight shift in Helena’s eyes, unnoticeable to anyone but her, that appears whenever Helena goes somewhere far off in her head. Somewhere she usually needs Dinah to pull her back from. Dinah wants so badly to pull her back. To pull her back and into her arms.

“To murder innocent people… It costs everything you are. Everything you can be. So you have to hold onto your one wish… and that night my wish was to save Dinah.”

“Of course,” John says sympathetically.

“I should have run off earlier that day with her. Just like she asked. I should have listened to her.”

“Why didn’t you? Were you caught up in Victor’s plan?”

“No… No, I was caught up trying to play allies.” Helena says. Dinah can see the confusion and frustration and hurt all over her face. She has to know, by now, that they were both just pawns all along for the rebels. Or that their rescue was planned from the beginning. Or that Renee, and maybe Dick for that matter, Dinah has no way of knowing, pretended to be uninterested in the idea of rebellion just to betray their trust for it in the end. The Capitol has probably told her nothing, but Helena is smart enough to figure it out on her own. “But then they separated us and… and that’s when I lost her.” Helena’s voice trails off, broken and defeated, and Dinah steps forward instinctively.

“I’m right here,” she whispers, begging Helena to hear her when she knows she can’t. 

“Then the lightning hit,” Helena continues. “The whole forcefield just blew out. All around the arena. It happened in an instant.”

“Yes, but Helena, Dinah is the one who blew it out.” John tries to argue. Helena’s eyes narrow at him just as they did when she stepped up to Victor that night. Dinah wonders for a moment if John realizes how thin the line he’s walking is.

“No.”

“Helena, you have seen the footage.”

“No, she didn’t know,” Helena says with a bit of a shrug. “Dinah didn’t know what she was doing. Neither of us knew there was some bigger plan going on.”

“You had no idea?”

“Of course not.” Helena almost seems offended by the question.

“Well, there are many people who find this all quite suspicious to say the least, Helena. It seems as though Dinah was part of a rebel plan.” Helena clenches her jaw, and Dinah hopes she can find the resolve to stay calm. Her getting violent with John Constantine on camera for all of Panem would almost definitely seal her fate, if it hasn’t been so already, at least.

“Do you think it was part of her plan to almost be killed by Diana?” She bites out. “Or part of her plan to be paralyzed by lightning? Neither of us were part of any rebel plan. We had absolutely no idea what was going on around us.” John raises his hands in surrender as she raises her voice.

“Alright,” he concedes. “I believe you, Helena. Thank you.” Helena huffs and adjusts the jacket of her suit as she leans back in the chair again. “I was going to ask if you would speak about the unrest, but I think you may be too upset. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

“No, I can.” Helena says.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” John thanks her as she sits up and looks directly into the camera, to all of Panem, to Dinah. “I want everyone to stop. To think about what a civil war could mean. We almost went extinct before, and now our numbers are even fewer. Is this really what we want to do?” Dinah tries to ignore the way the angry whispers begin to spread around the dining hall. Everyone calling her a traitor, one of them, a fraud, some cursing her and even a few calling for her death. Dinah knows Helena; she knows how the girl looks when she believes in something. The Helena on her screen does not believe in what she’s saying. She looks just as she did during every speech she made on the victory tour after District 11. “Killing is not the answer. Everyone needs to lay down their weapons. Immediately.” The whispers around the room become shouts. Dinah looks around and finds Oliver has joined her and is standing just a few feet behind her, his brow furrowed and mouth set in an angry line. 

“Are you calling for a ceasefire?” John asks.

“Yes,” Helena answers. “I want this senseless violence to stop. This is not the path to change.” Helena continues speaking, but Dinah can’t handle the yells of everyone around her. Laurel tries to reach out for her as she passes, running out of the hall, but Dinah evades her grasp and Cass’ sad and confused gaze, and Arthur’s heartbroken expression. She heads straight for her compartment. The moment she enters it, she slides down against the wall to the floor, shedding the tears she worked so hard to hold back in the dining hall. The compartment door slides open to reveal that Oliver has followed her. He sits down next to her with a sigh, placing a hand comfortingly on her knee.

“There can’t be a ceasefire,” Dinah says. “Not after everything Sionis has done. She knows that.”

“Most of the districts are still too afraid to join. They need courage. Hope. She might have just done a lot of damage.”

“I don’t know why she said that. She seemed to believe in rebellion before I ever did.”

“Maybe she was forced? She didn’t look bad… but maybe she made some kind of deal to protect you.” He sounds almost hopeful, like he wants Dinah to be right that Helena didn’t believe her own words. There’s an underlying hint of sympathy in his tone, too. Whether it’s for her or Helena, Dinah doesn’t know. “All she’s ever wanted was to protect you.”

“She’s still playing the game,” Dinah whispers in realization. Oliver stays there with her in the quiet of the compartment until Laurel and Cass make it back. None of them say anything about Helena, but Dinah hears her mother thank Oliver and tell him goodnight as he leaves. The three of them get ready for bed in near silence, unsure of what there is to say to each other. Laurel and Cass sleep on the bunks on the left, Laurel on the bottom one and Cass on the top, so Dinah takes the top bunk on the right side. It takes a while longer than usual, but after about half an hour of staring up at the ceiling, Dinah manages to fall asleep.

Flashes of Helena dead and near dead and dead again are what have Dinah waking up screaming. She shoots up in a panic. She isn’t in the arena anymore. Just a room with dim orange lights keeping it from being pitch black. The door to the room slides open, and Dinah watches as Helena rushes through it, worry all over her face.

“I’m sorry… It was just a nightmare. That’s all.” Dinah tells her. Helena shakes her head.

“It’s okay. I get them, too.” She turns to leave, but Dinah’s voice calling her name stops her and has her turning back around. She waits patiently for Dinah to say whatever she’s thinking.

“Will you stay with me?” Helena’s brow furrows like she doesn’t understand the request, but she nods anyway.

“Yeah,” she says as she walks over and climbs up onto the bed to hold Dinah tightly. “Always.”

Dinah gasps, eyes flying open in the dimly lit room. She moves her hand, expecting to feel Helena by her, but she isn’t there. She looks to the door, hoping the girl will come in and rescue her just like she did on the train from 8 to 12 and every night after that. Helena said her nightmares were always about losing Dinah. That she felt better when she woke up and realized Dinah was there beside her and okay. Dinah wonders for a moment how Helena is handling the nights she wakes up and there’s no reassurance that Dinah is okay and right there with her.

“Can’t sleep?” Dinah looks over at Cass, who is awake and staring at her in concern. 

“Never can anymore.” Dinah tells her. Cass gets out of her bed, carefully to make sure she doesn’t accidentally wake Laurel, and moves to join Dinah in her bed. Dinah scoots back to make room for her and pulls the blanket up over the younger girl. They lay there facing each other for a moment, waiting for the other to speak.

“What’s going on?” Cass finally asks. “I can keep a secret.”

“Nobody hates the Capitol and Sionis more than I do. I want to help… But even if we win, what’s going to happen to Helena? She’s obviously not safe in the Capitol, but you heard everyone in the dining hall tonight. She’s not safe here, either.”

“Dinah,” Cass says, “Do you not realize how important you are to them? If you want something all you have to do is ask. They need you. If you have a demand, then they’ll have to agree to it.” Dinah hadn’t even considered that aspect of things. District 13 needs her to cooperate; she can just put conditions on her cooperation.

“Have I ever told you how smart you are?” Cass grins.

“You can always tell me again.” She sighs. “You should get some sleep.”

“You should, too,” Dinah tells her. Cass nods and shuts her eyes without complaint, and Dinah follows her back into sleep moments later.

Dinah puts in the request to speak with Gordon and Ellen the moment she wakes up. She’s shocked by how quickly her request is responded to. She’s still sitting at her table writing her list of demands on a piece of paper to make sure she doesn’t forget them when someone comes to let her know the request has been granted and President Gordon and Ellen will see her immediately. Dinah makes the long trip to the elevator, down to the correct floor, and through the corridor to the meeting room from the day before with the person who notified her of her request being accepted. Gordon and Ellen are both seated at the table waiting for her when she enters. Dinah opts to stand across from them to make her demands rather than sitting. Gordon is sitting back comfortably in her chair, while Ellen is resting her arms on the table as she writes something in a notebook of sorts.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet me.” Dinah says. “I’ve decided I’ll be The Mockingjay.” Ellen’s head pops up, and she looks to Gordon for a moment and then back to Dinah in anticipation. “I have some conditions, though.” She glances down at her paper that she’s holding just below the table, out of view of the two women across from her, and then looks back up to meet their gazes. “Helena Bertinelli and the other tributes, Diana Prince and Mera Challa, are to be rescued at the earliest opportunity. If and when they are liberated, Helena and all of the other tributes, including Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle if they survived the Quarter Quell, will receive a full and unconditional pardon. No punishment will be inflicted on them.” Dinah doesn’t really care what happens to Selina, and definitely not Bruce, but leaving them out would feel wrong. President Gordon nods for a moment.

“No.” Ellen raises her eyebrows and sets down her pencil. Dinah isn’t in the mood to fight, but she will. For Helena.

“It isn’t their fault you abandoned them. They’re saying and doing whatever they have to in order to survive.”

“Individuals do not make demands in District 13,” Gordon says firmly. “There will be a trial, and a fair judgement, just as there will be for all other war criminals. Thank you.” Gordon looks down at her own notebook like Dinah is nothing but an inconvenience to her, and it makes Dinah’s blood boil. Her eyes connect with Ellen’s, and she’s sure the former gamemaker gives a small nod egging her on.

“The Victors will be granted immunity and you will announce that to the entire population of District 13. You will hold yourself, your district, and your government accountable, or you will find yourself another goddamn Mockingjay.” Dinah states, raising her voice and using the most commanding tone she can. 

“That’s it!” Ellen exclaims, pointing at Dinah. She looks at Gordon in excitement. “That’s her. Right here. Is that not what I promised you? Imagine the smoke and gunfire behind her. The costume. She’s perfect. She’s The Mockingjay.” She leans back in her chair. “We’re losing ground, Madam President, and it’s because the people are losing heart. They need hope. They need her. She’s worth the risk. Pardons and tribunals and all of that will be a great foundation of the new Panem, but we have to get there first. I’m a believer that in wartime even the noblest of causes can be bent a little bit, wouldn’t you agree?” Gordon seems to mull it over for a moment.

“Do you have any other… conditions?” She asks. Dinah glances down at her list again.

“Oliver. I can’t do this without him.”

“So… what? On camera? Off? Living in the same compartment with you? By your side at all times? Presented as your new lover? Be more specific.” She doesn’t say it with any malice, but she remains as impassive and stoic as before.

“I want him on the team for all Mockingjay related duties. That’s what I want.” Dinah says, then Gordon’s words turn over in her head again. “I would never toss Helena aside like that.” The statement is the first thing that causes any kind of shift in Gordon’s expression. It’s so quick Dinah almost misses it, but she sees the surprise for a split second. It almost makes her angry. The implication that after everything her love for Helena would still be nothing more than an act.

“Okay. What’s next?” Dinah nods and continues.

“Oliver and I will be allowed to hunt together. Out in the woods. We won’t go far, and the meat can be used in the kitchen, but I want us to be able to hunt.”

“That’s risky,” Ellen whispers. “The security issues, safety problems, risk of injuries-”

“Okay.” Gordon says, cutting Ellen off. “You’ll receive two hours a day, deducted half from training and half from personal time. Quarter mile radius and tracking anklets. The meat goes to the kitchen. Anything else?” 

“Yeah,” Dinah says. “I get to kill Sionis.” Gordon smiles for what Dinah thinks might be the first time ever.

“When the time comes, I’ll flip you for it.” She says. Dinah doesn’t push. She’s already getting more than she actually thought they would give her. She wants him dead more than anything. Getting to do it herself would just be a bonus.

“Deal.”

Gordon makes the announcement that evening before dinner. The people of 13 and the refugees from 7 all crowd the center of the massive underground district. They stand on the edges of the floors looking at her from behind the railing or down on the ground of the lowest floor. She stands in front of a microphone about 3 floors up from the bottom where everyone can see her. Dinah glances around the large room as Gordon greets them all and then leans over to Cass.

“I feel like there are basically no children here,” she whispers.

“A lot of them were lost in this epidemic a couple years ago,” Cass tells her. “Gordon lost her whole family.” Dinah nods more to herself than anything as she continues looking around. She spots Arthur standing several yards away and slowly makes her way in his direction, gently pushing through the crowd and hoping not to cause a disturbance.

“Dinah Lance has consented to be the face of our great cause. To help us unite the districts and defeat the Capitol.” President Gordon’s announcement results in a light round of applause, but it fades quickly to let her continue. “In exchange, I have promised some concessions. First, we will assess all opportunities to extract the victors held hostage in the Capitol: Selina Kyle-”

“Arthur,” Dinah says, drawing his attention to her as she stops beside him. “I made the deal for Mera, too.” 

“-Mera Challa, Diana Prince… and Helena Bertinelli.” The crowd goes from a quiet buzz of excitement to a louder dissent. Dinah ignores the looks being thrown her way. She doesn’t care what anyone says or does to her as long as Helena is rescued. She makes a short mental note that Bruce Wayne is dead. Dinah isn’t heartbroken, but she does wonder who struck the final blow to the man. Gordon is unfazed by the people of 13’s frustration and continues on. “Once they are freed, the victors will be granted full pardon for any and all crimes committed against the rebel cause.”

“That’s good,” Arthur whispers, turning his head to give Dinah a grateful smile. “Thank you.” She nods in return. He doesn’t need to thank her. After all he did to keep Helena alive, no matter the circumstances, including Mera in her request was the least Dinah felt she could do. 

“If Dinah Lance fails to fulfill her duties as The Mockingjay, the deal will be off. Thank you for your attention, and please return to your daily schedules.” Dinah tries not to feel crushed under the weight of the statement. If she fails, then they’re all fucked. She’ll just have to not fail then, she supposes.

“Dinner time I guess.” Arthur says. Dinah just nods and heads with him to the dining hall. He fills the void with a lengthy description of all the ways he’s making his compartment feel at home with a plant and a crude drawing of the beach and a net he made just to hang on the wall. Dinah knows that he knows she doesn’t really care, but he’s doing it so she doesn’t feel pressured to speak, and she appreciates the gesture. Oliver is waiting at the entrance of their floors dining hall and smiles when he sees them approaching. Arthur pats him on the back in a friendly manner and the three of them head through the line to get their meals. They make their way to the table they’ve practically claimed as their own, and Dinah goes from a walk to a light jog the moment she sees the two women sitting there. The makeup and flashy outfits of the Capitol are gone, but the dark wavy hair on the one with the perfectly proper posture and the blonde hair with pink and blue on the ends on the one flicking a diced potato at Cass are all she needs to recognize them both.

“Zatanna, Harley!” Zatanna opens her arms immediately to embrace Dinah. Her mom and Cass and Oliver’s embraces all feel like home, but there’s something about Zatanna’s that’s just different. She thought their little family unit formed over the victory tour had slipped from her grasp forever. She sets her tray down and sits between the two. Oliver and Arthur sit to Harley’s right, and the latter received a tight hug from the former stylist. “What are you two doing here?”

“We’re political refugees, kid!” Harley tells her as she pulls her into a hug. Dinah wants to sob and apologize and fall apart in her arms, but the dining hall isn’t really the place for The Mockingjay to make such a scene.

“Ellen had you two rescued?” Arthur asks.

“Rescued. Yes, that is what she called it.” Zatanna says. She leans in towards Dinah. “You and I were both left in the dark over all of this. Now look at us. We’re condemned to a life of boring grey jumpsuits and suffering.”

“I’m not sure I would call it suffering.” Oliver attempts.

“I miss coffee.” Zatanna snaps back. Oliver just laughs and shares an amused look with Cass and Laurel. “You would think in the higher ranks they would have some sort of black market, but no. None.”

“She misses those hats of hers.” Harley quips.

“Of course I do. There’s no sense of fashion here.” Zatanna leans to her left and grabs a large sketchbook bound in leather and sets it down where Dinah can see it. “Speaking of which, this… is for you.” Dinah opens the book up to find a sketch of herself in a beautiful black uniform fit for a rebel leader. There’s small splotches of color from the watercolors and the lines look like they were done quick and effortlessly with a perfect vision in mind.

“Ivy…” Dinah whispers, knowing nobody else could have ever come up with something like it. She squeezes her eyes shut in an effort to hold back tears and stay composed. “She’s dead, isn’t she?” Everyone is silent for a moment before Zatanna answers.

“Yes, dear.” She reaches out to place her hand comfortingly on Dinah’s shoulder. It isn’t news; she’s known for awhile. The confirmation is more painful than she expected it to be, though. “She made Ellen promise not to show you this until after you decided to be The Mockingjay on your own.” Dinah moves some of the pages, flipping through drawings of herself in the costume, holding a bow, standing proud, drawing an arrow… She turns the page to reveal a rough sketch of her, still in the costume, but in a similar black outfit is Helena by her side, head turned as she looks at Dinah, just like always. Dinah’s mockingjay pin is sketched over green watercolor, and below it, in Ivy’s slanted handwriting, are the words that break her.

_I’m still betting on you!_  
_-Ivy_

Dinah feels Harley pull her into a hug as a sob exits her chest. The carefully tailored armor featured in the drawings, a quiver made to look like a mockingjay’s real wing, the inclusion of Helena, and the simple message speak magnitudes for Dinah. Ivy always knew she would become The Mockingjay. She knew Dinah would choose to lead the revolution, and she believed in her ability to do so. Her smile on interview night when Dinah asked how she knew Harley was the one is so vivid in her mind suddenly. Ivy always knew Dinah loved Helena. Probably before Dinah even knew. Dinah has spent countless hours since arriving in District 13 wanting to tell her about the beach. About Helena’s locket and her smile and the kiss. Wanting Ivy to know she figured it out. That she told Helena. That she made it out of the arena. Wanting Ivy to know she’s going to be The Mockingjay. That she won’t have died in vain. But Ivy knew all of it before Dinah could even imagine it.

“She knew the risks,” Harley whispers to her. “We all do.” They pull apart from each other, and Harley wipes a few of her own tears from her face. “She believed in the revolution, but she believed in you even more.” Dinah glances back down at the drawings. A beautiful reminder of someone she loved and lost, just like the wooden mockingjay resting under her pillow in her compartment.

“They’re beautiful.”

“They have it, Dinah.” Zatanna tells her. Dinah looks over at her with a sense of hope. “They have your Mockingjay outfit. Now, we don’t really have a prep team here in 13, but you have Harley and I, and we will make you the best-dressed rebel in history.”

Harley and Zatanna are not Ivy, but nobody could really live up to the bar set by her anyway. They do manage to get Dinah looking camera ready in record time the following morning, though. They do her hair, just a little bit of makeup, and get her into the specially designed outfit so the first of the propos can be shot. She’s guided up onto a small stage with lights and microphones and other kinds of technology around it. She spins around slowly to look at all of it. She doesn’t want to say it out loud, but it all feels very Capitol-like to her. Harley stops her and reaches forward to pin her small gold mockingjay right over her heart.

“Pamela’s final touch,” she whispers. Zatanna looks beyond pleased with their work.

“Everyone in Panem will either want to kiss you, kill you, or be you,” she says before the two of them walk out of the way of the cameras. An intercom from the booth ahead of the stage crackles to life, and Ellen’s voice comes over it.

“Perfect. Thank you so much ladies. Alright, let’s bring up the setting and get a little wind going.” Dinah can’t see any kind of setting, but she’s sure it’s visible on whatever screen Ellen and Victor are looking at in the booth. A fan turns on and starts blowing a light breeze at her. “Okay Dinah, we’re going to have you start down on one knee, and then as you rise up you’ll raise your flag and deliver your line.”

“Okay.” It sounds easy enough, but Dinah isn’t really feeling whatever empowering emotion they’re looking for.

“And remember, you just stormed the outskirts of the Capitol, arm-in-arm with your brothers and sisters.”

“Got it,” Dinah says as she kneels down. Ellen gives the go-ahead for her to go whenever she’s ready. Dinah takes a deep breath and stands up, raising the metal staff in her hand that’s supposed to be her flag.

“People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we…”

“Does she know the line?” Ellen asks after a moment.

“I know the line.”

“She’s just warming up.” Arthur says from where he’s standing by Harley and Zatanna off to the side. Dinah kneels back down to start over.

“Okay good. Alright,” Ellen says. “Now, with all the energy. Go.”

“People of Panem,” she shouts as she stands. “We fight. We dare to end this hunger for justice!”

“You’ve been in battle!” Ellen shouts over the intercom. “You’ve just stormed the Capitol!” Dinah shakes her head, somewhat in frustration with herself but mostly with all of them. The line doesn’t feel natural. None of it does. And she isn’t an actress. Everything about it just feels so stiff to her. “I’m sorry for my outburst, but you’ve just been in battle, Dinah. Okay?… Whenever you’re ready.” Dinah kneels back down and starts again, mustering up all of the anger she can.

“People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!” It could be worse. Maybe. Dinah feels awkward up there and knows it shows in her delivery. She has no clue what she’s doing or how to make everyone happy with her performance. The silence in the room stretches on for far longer than she’s comfortable with. Not even Arthur or Harley or Zatanna have an encouraging word for her; in fact, they look like they’re actually cringing at what they just witnessed. A slow clap breaks the silence of the room. Dinah looks towards the sound to find Renee approaching her.

“Now that, my friends, is how a revolution dies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lit. as always i really appreciate when yall leave comments/kudos. im so emotionally invested in this fic that i dont need comments/kudos to feel motivated to keep writing it but they do provide an instant shot of serotonin for me so. 
> 
> also if youre in the US and over 18 pls make sure youre registered to vote. it do be important as fuck


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise bitch. bet you thought you'd seen the last of me
> 
> really tho i do apologize for the sudden hiatus. the past few months have been... yeah. politics. school. rewriting the twilight saga. work. mentaw iwwness. but here is le chapter. i hope yall enjoy it!

Watching the propo back is actually worse than the process of filming it was. They put it together pretty quickly and then gathered the full Mockingjay team (or at least that’s what they apparently are) in the usual conference room to watch it. Ellen, Renee, Oliver, Arthur, Victor, Harley and Zatanna, Colonel Jordan, and President Gordon are all seated and facing the screen as Dinah’s terrible acting is put on display for everyone. Everything about her words and movement seem disjointed and unnatural, like she’s a puppet. She pushes away the thought that she is. Renee groans as she stands up from her chair and moves to the front of the room where the screen is.

“President Gordon, indulge me for a moment, please.” She turns to face them all. “Everyone just… take a moment. Okay? Take a moment and think about a moment where Dinah genuinely made you feel something. And I mean Dinah. It can’t be a moment where Helena made her look good or Ivy put her in a jaw-dropping outfit. And not something where she shot an arrow good or built a fire quickly. No, I want you all to think of one moment where Dinah moved you and made you feel something real.” Zatanna raises her hand immediately, and Renee gestures for her to speak.

“When she volunteered for her sister at the Reaping.” Renee nods and turns around, grabbing the stylus for the screen off the small shelf as she does so. She pulls up a blank screen and begins writing on it.

“Excellent. Volunteered for Cass,” she says, writing the example across the board. The board takes her handwriting and immediately puts it into a legible font, which Dinah greatly appreciates because Renee’s handwriting is absolute shit. Colonel Jordan’s voice surprises Dinah.

“When she sang the song for the little girl from 11.” The man seems a bit cold and stand-offish at times, but Dinah remembers seeing him smiling and laughing with his two young daughters in the dining hall at breakfast. She knows he’s probably not totally the gruff soldier he tries to appear as.

“Of course. Who wasn’t choked up at that?”

“When she played the prank on Helena and scared her on the beach,” Arthur says softly. Dinah looks over to find a hint of a smile on his lips at the memory. Being in the arena was absolute hell, but Dinah could have stood to stay on that beach with Helena forever. Things were easier when she thought she was standing at death’s door.

“Lovely examples.” Renee gestures to the short list on the board. “We could go on and on forever about the things Dinah has done that moved us. I know I could. I’m sure Oliver and Arthur and Zatanna and Harley could. If Helena were here we would be stuck in this room all day with her listing off the great things Dinah has done. But at the end of the day… What do all of these have in common?”

“Nobody told her what to do,” Oliver answers.

“Unscripted,” Victor supplies. “So we should just leave her alone, then.” Dinah laughs a little. Several people do, actually, but not Gordon or Ellen.

“I understand what you’re saying, but there are not really a ton of opportunities for spontaneity while we’re underground in District 13.” Ellen tells them all. She looks at Renee like she can’t believe the victor. “So what? You want us to toss her straight into combat?”

“Yes.”

“Dammit, Renee. We can’t sanction putting an untrained civilian out in the field just for effect.”

“We are not the Capitol.” Gordon adds. “We can’t protect her out there.”

“No, seriously,” Renee pushes. “Put her out there in the field. It has to come from her. People respond to what comes from her. Not what comes from some script written by people who have never seen poverty and suffering in the districts the way she has or felt the pain of the Reapings and of the Hunger Games like she has. She can’t be coached into this. It’s just who she is. If you want her to be a symbol for your rebellion then you have to be willing to take this chance.” Ellen sighs and leans back in her chair.

“Could there be somewhere less dangerous? We don’t have to send her to the frontlines.”

“District 8 reported heavy bombing last week,” Victor informs her. “They don’t have any military targets left, so it’s unlikely there will be as big of a risk there as in other districts.”

“We can’t guarantee Miss Lance’s safety.” Gordon says. She clearly doesn’t like the idea, but Dinah does. She wants to go. She’s no use to the rebels, to Helena, sitting around in 13 and filming glorified commercials.

“You won’t ever be able to guarantee my safety,” she argues. “I want to go.”

“And what if you’re killed?” Gordon asks.

“Make sure you get it on camera.” Ellen laughs, and the sound is somewhere between baffled and impressed. President Gordon just shakes her head and starts giving out commands on how to prepare things and what they’ll do. She dismisses everyone, but Renee grabs Dinah by the arm before she can leave. They wait for the room to clear. Dinah jerks her arm from the woman’s grip the moment they’re alone.

“We’re going to have to work together, Dinah.”

“So what?”

“Go ahead.” Dinah pauses in confusion.

“What?”

“Go ahead. Just say it.” Dinah hesitates for a moment, unsure if she really wants to, but then she spits out the words she’s been holding back since she saw Renee.

“I can’t fucking believe you didn’t save Helena,” She snarls. Renee nods, unfazed and understanding. Dinah’s anger dissipates. She wants to hold onto it, but there’s something clearly missing, and it isn’t an apology. They’re a team. “Your turn.”

“I can’t believe you let her out of your sight.” And there it is. Helena is in the Capitol because both of them failed her. Renee sighs and rubs at her temple. “Listen, this isn’t… Dinah, she’s not dead.” _Yet._ “And neither are we.”

“You never get off this train,” Dinah whispers, remembering Renee’s words in the attic of District 11’s Justice Building. She hears the door to the room slide open and looks over to find Ellen and Oliver standing there.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but since you two will be going to District 8 within the next few hours it’s probably time you and Oliver to see what Victor has been working on for you both.” Ellen tells them.

“Is he here or should we go somewhere to meet him?” Dinah asks.

“He’ll be in his workshop. Take the elevator you used to get here up to the top floor and cut through the garden and greenhouses. It’s not too far.” Ellen says. She focuses her attention on Renee and clears her throat. “Renee… my schedule is clear for the next hour if you would like to… catch up.” Oliver looks between the two older women in surprise. Dinah speedwalks over to him and grabs his elbow to drag him out. She doesn’t need him asking questions or making a smartass remark. Renee’s love life is not something Dinah particularly cares to hear the details about. 

She leads the way to the elevator and follows the directions Ellen gave them to Victor’s workshop. They’re cutting through one of the greenhouses when they spot Victor beneath a tree in the garden ahead. It’s a large circular room with a glass dome over it to let sunlight in. Plants and flowers and small trees are all over the place in raised cement platforms. Most of the plants are green, but there are some soft yellows and deep purples scattered about. Judging by the various puddles on the wet cement Dinah assumes the sprinkles went off recently. She and Oliver approach Victor, and he looks at them with a comforting smile. He points above them, drawing their attention to the small birds flitting above quickly in different directions.

“Aren’t they magnificent?” He asks. “Hummingbirds. District 13 has been studying their aerodynamics recently.”

“They’re so small.” Dinah says. Victor nods in agreement.

“Small, swift, and largely unpredictable. Could you bring one of these down with one of your arrows?”

“She could.” Oliver answers for her without looking away from the birds. Dinah and Victor both look at him, though. “She never would unless she had to, but she could. She’s smart. Skilled. It may take awhile, but every creature has a weakness. All you have to do is find it.” Victor hums in acknowledgement and seems to ponder that.

“We heard you have something for us?” Dinah says, deciding she doesn’t want to continue the conversation about killing the innocent birds above them. 

“Yes, I do. Right this way.” He turns in his wheelchair and leads them to the right into his workshop. There are several tables with spare parts and halfway inventions, a desk with an assortment of screens, keyboards, and computers, and a shooting range with 3 targets far at the end of the hall. “I’ve made you some surprises.” Dinah turns to find Victor handing a large black crossbow to Oliver. “If you’re going to be on her propo team, then you should look the part.” Oliver glances at the targets to his left.

“Can I try it out?”

“Be my guest.” Victor says with a smile and a wave of his hand. Oliver steps up and raises the crossbow to look through the scope. It only takes him a moment to aim and pull the trigger. The bolt sails towards the target and creates a small burst of flames the moment it makes impact. Oliver grins at Dinah like he just got the greatest gift ever. “This one is for you.” Victor says, pulling her attention to a sleek black bow.

“It’s beautiful.” Dinah whispers, taking it in her hands and running her fingers along the cool curved metal.

“Ellen and President Gordon requested a weapon for you to have for the propos, but I couldn’t just make you a fashion accessory.”

“Thank you.” Victor nods and points at the quiver on the table near them. “Now, look at these. I’ve color-coded them for you. On the right you have black for incendiary arrows, in the center are yellow regular arrows, and the left have your red and explosive arrows.”

“Impressive work, Victor.” Oliver notes.

“Thank you,” He looks up at Dinah. “I don’t know when, but I’m sure you’ll see him before me. Would you let Arthur know I have a special trident for him?”

“Of course.” Dinah is sure Arthur will rush down to see the weapon the moment she tells him it’s waiting for him. Oliver looks down at the solid black communication band on his wrist.

“We need to take our stuff and head for the hovercraft hangar. They plan to send us out within the hour.” Victor hands the quiver to Dinah.

“Best of luck you two. Be careful out there.” The two of them thank him again and make their way back to the elevator. They take it down two floors and then walk down a hall. Dinah isn’t really sure where the hangar is. She’s been before, but she didn’t bother to memorize it, so she lets Oliver lead the way. They’re intercepted halfway down the hallway by Harley and Zatanna. The duo sends Oliver ahead to the hovercraft, but they take Dinah into a nearby office where she can change into her official Mockingjay outfit and Harley can make any last minute adjustments needed. Colonel Jordan is waiting outside the office door to escort her when they’re finished. He guides Dinah down the end of the hallway and into a vast open room filled with hovercrafts and missiles of all kinds.

“So 13 had all of this and just… let the districts fend for themselves?” Hal shakes his head.

“It wasn’t like that, Dinah. We barely survived the Capitol’s attack on us. Sure, we could have bombed them back, but they would have returned with twice as much fire power… If not more. Then what?” He sighs. “There would be nobody left.” Dinah scoffs.

“That sounds exactly like what Helena said, and you all called her a traitor for it.” Hal steps in front of Dinah and stops, a serious look set on his face.

“I never called Helena a traitor.” He says in a low voice. Dinah is taken aback. It seemed like everyone in 13 thought Helena deserved to die for what she said. Hal’s shoulders relax and he moves to continue leading her to the hovercraft straight ahead. “Right this way, soldier. Let’s go.” They head up the walkway into the hovercraft, which is significantly smaller than most of the ones in the hangar. There’s a decent assortment of equipment, as well as Oliver, some people Dinah doesn’t know yet, and Renee and Ellen. The former gamemaker looks excited as she gestures to the people Dinah is unfamiliar with.

“Just some quick introductions before you all head out, Dinah. These folks came a long way to support this cause. This,” She points to the woman with one side of her head shaved and vines tattooed on it. “is Kate Kane. She’s one of the best and most up and coming directors in the Capitol if you ask me.”

“Or at least I was until I up and left.” Kate says. “Hey,” she adds, greeting Dinah directly. She nods to three people beside her. “This is my assistant, Anissa, and our camerapeople, Kara and Billy.”

“It’s an honor to meet you,” Anissa says. Dinah doesn’t really know how to respond to the statement, so she settles for a nod. 

“Let’s all get buckled in,” Hal tells them. The crew, Hal, and Oliver all move to get in their seats for takeoff. Renee gives Dinah a pat on the back.

“I’ll be on the comms team if you need me. Stay alive, kid.” She and Ellen head down the walkway just before it closes, and Dinah takes a seat next to Oliver, feeling more at ease due to Renee’s words. Dinah looks at Billy next to her as the hovercraft starts to take off.

“So you’re all from the Capitol?” She asks. “Ellen got you out?”

“You can’t expect much chit chatting from Billy,” Kate says from across from them. “He’s an avox. But to answer your question, sort of. We’re all from the Capitol, but it wasn’t a rescue of any kind if that’s what you mean. We all fled on our own. For this.” She looks at her crew and then back at Dinah. “For you.”

The hovercraft lands in District 8 far sooner than Dinah expected it to. It lowers to the ground quickly, and before she can even really process it Colonel Jordan is rushing them off the hovercraft with a reminder they need to be fast. The team, Dinah, Oliver, Colonel Boggs, and their filming crew, jog towards a building where a tall woman is standing with a few armed rebels. She’s holding a long rifle meant for sharpshooting in with an arm wrapped in bandages. She looks to be in a bit better shape than the rest of her own squad, though.

“Commander Saunders,” Hal greets her with a nod. He gestures to the rest of their team. “This is Oliver, Kate, Anissa, Billy, Kara, and, as you’re well aware, Dinah.”

“We weren’t sure you were even alive.” She says to Dinah as she reaches out to shake her hand. “I’m Commander Kendra Saunders. Thank you for coming out here.”

“She’s been recovering, but she insisted on coming out to see your wounded.” Hal says. Kendra takes a deep breath.

“Well, more than enough of those. This way.” She waves her arm to the crew and leads them into the building. It’s a dark and dull warehouse with brick walls that look like they’re on their last legs. Bodies covered in tarps lie on the floor along either side of the hallway, leaving just enough room to walk between all of them. If Dinah hadn’t become so familiar with the smell of blood and carnage through the games then she would surely feel sick. 

“You’ve been hit hard,” Oliver notes as he watches wounded rebels carry more bodies in. His tone is filled with sympathy, but his anger and hatred for the Capitol and all they’ve done seeps through.

“We have a mass grave west of her, but the bombing yesterday morning has left me with little man power. We won’t be able to move them for awhile.” They reach a thick plastic curtain at the end of the hall and stop. “The vast majority of our wounded are right through here. Anything you can say to them will help, Dinah. The Capitol has done everything it possibly can to break us.” She pulls back the curtain, and Dinah’s knees get weak.

There are hundreds of people, on cots, homemade stretchers, tables, the floor. They’re unconscious, limbless, covered in blooding, and crying out. There’s so many of them. Her own head fills with images to match it. Kory covered in tracker jacker stings. Damian mauled by mutts. Helena slowly bleeding out on the ground in the cave. Terra fading in her arms. Oliver, bloody and broken, on her kitchen table. Helena, bruised and broken, in her bed. Ivy being dragged from the room. The victor from 8 with Arthur’s trident buried in his chest. Helena on the floor of the jungle with her heart not beating. The morphling in Helena’s arms. June with a slit throat. An arrow in Victor Zsaz’s. Helena in the Capitol. Broken. Bruised. Bloody, Tortured. Dead. She’s not dead. Yet. But Dinah has surely doomed her. She knows it.

“Dinah.” Oliver says, his voice sharp and intense, snapping her back to reality. She shakes her head at him.

“I can’t help them.” She whispers.

“Just let them see your face,” Kate tells her softly. “You don’t have to make a grand speech or anything to help them. Just let them see you’re alive, and here, with them.” That sounds doable. She looks at Oliver again.

“Don’t leave me.”

“Never.” He assures her with an easy smile. “I’ll be right back here.” Dinah gives a short nod and slowly walks into the makeshift hospital. It takes a moment, but as she gets closer to the center people begin to notice her. The noise comes to a stop as every gaze settles on her.

“Dinah Lance?” A small voice calls to her. She turns around and looks at the source of the voice: a girl, probably 15 or 16, sitting up on a cot with her arm in a sling and leg splinted and bandaged who seems to be in complete awe of her presence. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.”

“What about Helena?” An even younger girl asks from beside her. Dinah can’t help the frown that comes.

“I… We haven’t rescued her yet.” She takes a deep breath. “We will.”

“Are you fighting, Dinah?” A voice asks from behind her. She turns to look at the young man. He’s favoring his right leg and is covered in cuts and bruises, but his rifle is still slung over his shoulder. “Are you here to fight with us?”

“I am.” She doesn’t hesitate. She doesn’t even have to think about her answer because she knows it. Of course she’ll fight. For Panem. For the districts. For the tributes and victors. For Terra and Barry and Atlanna and June and the morphling. For Arthur and Victor and Diana. For Renee. For Oliver. For her mother and Cass. For Helena. “Always.” The boy brings his fingers to his lips, and then raises three in the District 7 salute that has become so synonymous with Dinah. Around her, everyone in the hospital who is able follows the gesture. Dinah has tried so long to avoid the realization, but suddenly she understands just how much power she holds. Sionis knew it the moment she held out the berries. The rebels started fighting because they saw it. Ellen saved her from the arena because she knew it. Whether she accepted the role or not, Dinah was always the Mockingjay.

She gladly accepts a canteen of water from Oliver the moment they’re out of the hospital and heading back the way they came to board their hovercraft. Kate is watching back footage on a small screen with Kara and Billy.

“You did amazing.” Anissa tells her.

“Laurel will be proud.” Oliver points out. Dinah laughs.

“My mom isn’t even going to notice me. She’s going to be so distraught over the conditions in there. Is it like that everywhere?”

“Basically,” Kendra says. “We probably have it the worst of anyone other than 2. I don’t envy Commander Grayson.”

“Dick Grayson?” Dinah asks. “He’s in 2?” 

“He left the Capitol and went back to lead the rebels in trying to overthrow the peacekeepers there.” Oliver tells her. “I figured you already knew or I would have told you.”

“I’m just glad he’s not dead.” Dinah says. She doesn’t want to think about him too much because thinking about Dick will make her think about Helena. She looks over at Kate. “Will they play the footage in the districts?” 

“No way they won’t.” She answers with a grin. “It’ll be seared into their memories.”

“Well, I w-”

“We have a problem.” Hal announces to them all, cutting Oliver’s statement off. “Incoming bombers. They’re coming in from the north. We’ll need to take cover.” Kendra points at an abandoned building with concrete walls maybe 20 feet away from them.

“There’s a bunker in there.” The group rushes into it just as sirens begin going off overhead. They’re sprinting ahead when Dinah hears the planes coming. Gunfire erupts just outside the building they’re in, and at the sight of sunlight seeping in Dinah changes directions and heads for it. Oliver is right behind her every step of the way as Hal yells for them to stop. They look out over a pile of rubble where there used to be a wall and watch them approach.

“They’re aiming for something south of here. They aren’t aiming for us.” Oliver says, confusion evident in his voice. The realization is immediate for Dinah.

“The hospital. They’re targeting the hospital!” They don’t have to say anything to one another or even look at each other to know what they’re going to do. The two of them take off at a sprint, readying their weapons to join the fight. They ignore Hal angrily yelling for them not to do just that. They watch as two planes drop a set of bombs directly on the hospital in the distance.

“They’re circling back; get ready!” Oliver shouts. Dinah pulls an arrow with a red stripe from her quiver as he raises his crossbow. The two of them take aim, and as the planes get closer they both fire. Both take a hit, but the explosion from Dinah’s arrow sends one flying into the other. They both plummet to the ground in the distance, but Dinah’s attention becomes focused on the building up in flames not too far from them. She and Oliver run as fast as they can for it. When they reach the center of the wreckage, crumbled stone and wood covered in massive flames, the rest of the team is already there, clearly having anticipated her and Oliver’s move.

“Help them!” Dinah shouts, running forward. “Get them out! You have to help them!” Oliver grabs her from behind to stop her from running straight into fire.

“We can’t.” He says, loud enough for only her to hear. The pain in his voice tells Dinah he’s just as heartbroken as she is. “We can’t help them.”

“Dinah,” Kate yells over the roar of the flames. “President Sionis just aired the bombing for all of Panem to see. To send a message to the rebels. Do you have a message of your own to send to the rebels right now?” Dinah turns slowly to look directly into her camera. “What do you want to say?”

“I want the rebels to know I’m alive. And that I’m in District 8. And that the Capitol just bombed a hospital here. It was filled with unarmed men, women, and children, and there will be no survivors.” Every member of the team looks devastated and angry, especially Kendra and Oliver, but everyone’s eyes are locked on Dinah. “If you think, for even one second, that the Capitol will ever treat us fairly, then you are lying to yourselves! Because we already know who they are, and what they do.” She points behind herself to the destroyed remains of the hospital. “This is what they do! And we must fight back.” She pauses, tries to control her rage, to channel it into everything she says to the camera. “I have a message for Roman Sionis. You can torture us. And you can bomb us. And you can burn our districts to the ground. But do you see that?” She points to the set of Capitol bomber planes visible maybe fifty yards away from them. The red Capitol insignia painted on a wing shows clearly through the flames of its own fire. “Fire is catching. And if we burn, you burn with us!” There’s a moment of tense silence, like all of the pain and hatred they’re all feeling has been suspended in the air, and then Kate’s voice slices through it.

“Cut! That’s a wrap.” She gives Dinah a sincere look. “That was incredible.” 

The footage is clipped together for an intense and empowering propo that is played for all of the people of District 13 that evening. Dinah is impressed with just how fast Kate and her team managed to put it together. She ignores the sound of her own voice and bombs falling and flames erupting. Arthur seems to notice her lack of interest in reliving the moment and elbows her playfully.

“What do you say we bust out of this joint? Go play cards or something?” Dinah laughs a bit at that. 

“I wish. Gordon and Ellen would probably notice if the Mockingjay disappeared right now.” Arthur hums to himself.

“You’re probably right. Neither of them know how to have any fun. Well, at least not Gordon. Ellen seems to have fun when she’s around Renee at least.” Dinah shoots him a confused look.

“I’ve only ever seen Ellen and Renee argue.” 

“It’s the fun that comes after the arguing, Dinah.” 

“Ew.” Dinah makes a disgusted face while Arthur tries to keep himself from laughing so hard they draw attention to themselves while Gordon is walking up to the microphone to speak. “I did not need to hear that.”

“Oh, come on, you don’t want to think about your mentor having hot, steamy, makeup s-”

“No!” Dinah says a little too loud. They’re far enough away from the rest of the crowd to avoid the attention of everyone in District 13, but Laurel glares at the two of them like they’re both her disruptive children. Arthur whispers an apology to her, and when she turns her attention back to President Gordon Dinah laughs. “Try not to get on my mom’s bad side, please. I don’t know what I would do if Oliver was the only friend I was allowed to have over to our compartment anymore.”

“My bad,” Arthur says jokingly. “I’ll be on my best behavior around Laurel from now on. If Mera were here she would keep me in line.” Dinah snorts.

“God, the idea of having to deal with you and Helena at the same time…” She trails off. She meant to make a joke with the statement, but it’s no secret she wants nothing more. Before them, the crowd erupts in a chant of ‘hoorahs’ at whatever Gordon said. The mix of thinking about Helena being with her and hearing cheering after a propo that came from the deaths of so many people makes her feel sick.

“Nothing quite like a fight song at a funeral.” Arthur mumbles, clearly not appreciating it either. He glances at Dinah and then back to the crowd. “I just keep telling myself that the more people we have on our side, the closer we are to getting them back.” All she can do is nod.

Dinah and Oliver get to go hunting for the first time the next day. It’s nice. Being out in the woods and breathing the fresh air without the pressure of meeting a film crew’s standards or not getting killed. To just walk beneath the trees, her favorite boots crunching the leaves on the ground, her dad’s leather jacket on, the pearl from Helena in her pocket, a bow in hand, and Oliver just a step behind her. It’s the closest feeling she’s had to home since leaving District 7 for the Quarter Quell. They track an elk, and Dinah does her best to ignore the memory of the elk before the reaping for her first Hunger Games. It feels like a century ago to her. Oliver takes the lead, but when the elk is finally within sight he steps out of the way for Dinah to take the shot. She crouches behind some thin branches and pulls her arrow back. She takes a breath to steady herself, and then the elk looks up. Right at her. She and the elk lock eyes, but it doesn’t run. It just holds her gaze for a moment and then goes right back to eating the grass beneath its hooves. She lowers her arrow.

“He isn’t even afraid of us.”

“They’ve never been hunted before.” Oliver points out. “It’s almost not fair.” Dinah chooses not to look at him, unsure if the look on his face will be sadness or pity. She doesn’t really know which one would be worse. She can’t bear to shoot the elk, though, so they move on. They get some small game: a few birds, a rabbit, and two squirrels, and then they find a flowing creek to stop at. It’s bigger than the one back home. Or back at what was home. The creek outside District 7 wasn’t as big and didn’t flow as fast. It was a little more peaceful, but just being around one and watching the water cascade over the rocks makes Dinah feel better. She rests her head on Oliver’s shoulder with a sigh. 

“Dinah?” He whispers.

“Hm?” He takes a deep breath like he’s composing himself. Just as he’s about to say whatever it is that’s on his mind his communication cuff starts to beep. He closes his eyes for a second and then looks down at it. “They want us to head back. We have a meeting in command soon.”

“Okay.” They stand up and make sure they have their things gathered. Dinah reaches out and grabs Oliver’s arm to stop him before they leave. “What did you want to say?” Oliver smiles sadly.

“Don’t worry about it.” He looks up at the sky that’s begun changing colors as the sun prepares to set. “Let’s get back before they panic and send out a search party.” Dinah wants to push it and make him say whatever he wanted to, but he’s moving before she can and the opportunity is gone. They head back to 13, and Dinah requests a slight detour to drop her things off in her family’s compartment before they head to command. They take the elevator down to the dining hall together since it’s the fastest way there.

“She was, arguably, our favorite tribute.” John Constantine’s voice fills the empty room as the elevator door opens. John Constantine is on the television screens in the center of the room that are always set to Capitol TV. “And I think that is what we all find most astonishing about this. This girl was absolutely adored in the Capitol. I would imagine that for you, Helena, it must be particularly painful.” Dinah rushes closer to the TV as the screen shoes Helena’s hands holding a white rose and shaking as they do so. The camera pans up to show the rest of her and a small gasp escapes Dinah.

“Fuck,” Oliver whispers from beside her. It’s been such a short time since they last saw Helena that the change is practically disturbing. She’s lost probably ten pounds and there are dark circles under her eyes that no amount of makeup could fix. She winces as she shifts in her seat, and Dinah can’t begin to imagine what could have happened to make such a small movement hurt Helena so much. Helena has always been hard to read; she keeps her emotions locked up so tight. But Dinah can see the hint of fear in her eyes. 

“I wish I could give you this rose, Dinah,” Helena whispers like she’s in a trance. 

“Oh, Helena…” Dinah whispers.

“Such a sweet gesture for a girl who has inspired such an immense level of violence.” John points out.

“It’s only been a few days. What are they doing to her?” Dinah asks. 

“I- Shit. Canary, I don’t think what we saw a few days ago was new.” Oliver whispers. Dinah looks back at him and his sympathy filled look is enough to make her feel like she’s going to fall apart. He’s probably right. There’s no way the amount of deterioration she’s seeing could have happened in the four or five days since she last saw Helena. The interview calling for a cease-fire was probably filmed not long after the Quarter Quell. The whole time she thought Helena may not be suffering, she was. 

“She’s shaking.” Dinah points out, but she knows she doesn’t have to. Oliver sees it all, too. How could he not?

“You must love her very much.” John continues. “Unless, of course, you think that perhaps she’s being forced into saying things that she doesn’t even understand?” Helena looks up at the camera for the first time.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I think.” Now that she’s speaking above a whisper, Dinah can catch the almost unnoticeable cracks in her voice. “I think they’re using her to get the rebels riled up. I doubt she even knows what’s happening.” 

“Now, Helena, I highly doubt that the rebels would ever let Dinah see this, but if they did, what would you want to say to her? To Dinah Lance. The once sweet, Dinah Lance. Our Girl on Fire. Your love. What would you say to her?”

“I, uh-” Helena closes her eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath. She glances at her own hands like she wants them to stop shaking but doesn’t know how to. “I would tell her that… that I love her. And… to think for herself. She’s… She’s so smart. So good.”

“Yes.” John acknowledges, like he knows she’s on the right path to please President Sionis with her interview and he’s coaxing her down it slowly. Helena looks directly into the camera, unshed tears in her eyes and desperation written all over her face.

“Don’t let them play you for a fool, Dinah. I know you didn’t want this. You never wanted a rebellion. The things you did in the games… You never intended to start all of this. They’ve made you into something you’re not. Something that could destroy all of us, Dinah. So if you have any power or say in what they do or- or how they use you- please. I’m begging. Please, tell them to stop this war. And ask yourself, Dinah, can you trust the people you’re working with? Do you know what they really want?” 

“We have to respond.” Oliver says. Dinah turns around as John thanks Helena and tells the Capitol audience about what to tune in for tomorrow. She can’t believe what he just said to her, and the look in his eyes says he knows that. 

“Did you see what she looked like?!”

“Of course I did, Dinah. I didn’t like it either. I wish she weren’t in the Capitol, too. But this is war, okay? We can’t just not respond to a message like that.” Anger flashes in his eyes. “And I know things are probably awful for her, Dinah, but saying things like that…”

“What?” Dinah shouts. “Saying things like that what, Oliver? Does it make her the enemy? A traitor? You gonna call for her execution now, too?”

“No!” He snaps. “But it does make her a coward.” The sound of her palm hitting his face registers before the feeling does. She doesn’t feel bad for it, though. He clenches his jaw and tries to compose himself.

“How dare you-”

“How dare I? Dinah, I’m not saying she’s the enemy. I’m not saying she’s the bad guy. I’m not saying she should die or even be punished. But I am saying that I would never say things like that. And neither would you. Not with a gun to our heads or if they tortured us… Never.”

“That is the same Helena who defended you when they dragged you off to the whipping post!” Dinah shouts. Oliver looks away at the reminder and sighs, the anger seemingly dissipating from him. Dinah knows he doesn’t mean anything bad towards Helena. She knows he sees her as family and wants her rescued. The stress of worrying about Helena and worrying about each other and worrying about everyone around them was bound to make them snap at each other eventually.

“I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t… I don’t think she’s a coward. I didn’t mean to say that. I just got so angry with her for taking their side. I don’t know what they’ve done to her. I know they’ve done things to terrify her and make her think she has to say things like that. But I just don’t understand how she could do that. How she could sit there and defend the people who destroyed our home and tried to murder our families?” The answer is clear to Dinah the moment Oliver asks the question.

“She doesn’t know… How could she?” Oliver seems to think it over for a moment and then nods a little bit.

“There’s no way they would have shown them.” He agrees. Dinah feels her frustration shifting to determination.

“Then I have to show them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> much stuff. if you enjoyed the stuff pls leave a comment/kudos bc i appreciate every last one of them. thank you for reading and have a good day


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whaaaaaat another chapter already???? yeah i didnt feel like doing my homework so.
> 
> thank you for reading. please remember to comment, leave kudos, whatever it is yall do on here idk i just type and yall clap. and um. good luck friends. im sorry in advance.

Dinah skips breakfast to get in some weapon training with Arthur down in Victor’s workshop. Had anyone told her when he approached her to offer a sugar cube at the Tribute Parade that she would at one point consider him her closest ally she would have rolled her eyes and walked away. Oliver was always going to be her best friend, and her mother and Cass were still the two most important people in her life, and Renee would always be her mentor. Nobody understood how she felt except Arthur, though. He wants Mera back in the same way she wants Helena back; they would do anything to have the home safe. It was how Arthur had also managed to get roped into the whole propo business. 

“Dinah! Hey, wait up!” She turns around just before she enters the elevator to see Kate jogging down the concrete hallway towards her. She offers a pleasant smile when she reaches Dinah. “Where are you headed?”

“Down to Victor’s workshop. Arthur wants to try out his new tridents, and I figure extra practice with this new bow couldn’t hurt.”

“Cool. Listen, I uh… I have a meeting with President Gordon, Ellen, and Renee here in a bit to brainstorm more propo ideas since the ‘We Remember’ ones are seemingly a success. I had one in mind, but I want to run it by you before going forward with it.” Dinah is vaguely familiar with the ‘We Remember’ propos. They’re an entire series basically just memorializing dead tributes. The first one they did was Terra, and Dinah felt so sick watching just the first few seconds of it that she promised herself to avoid the rest. She didn’t particularly want to see Barry’s or Atlanna’s or June’s. She can’t imagine how Arthur must feel narrating all of them. It has to be like eulogizing your friends over and over. She shakes her head at the thought and forces a somewhat smile.

“Yeah, sure. Hit me with it.” Kate looks nervous to say whatever she’s about to, and Dinah can’t tell if it has more to do with her or the idea itself.

“I was thinking of a series dedicated to you and Helena. Ellen and President Gordon may find it risky since they seem to think the districts don’t believe you love her, but I think Renee would think it’s good.” Dinah rolls her eyes a bit and looks down at the ground as they board the elevator together.

“Why does everyone think I don’t love her?” Kate takes a deep breath.

“Well… I don’t know… I think maybe…” She sighs and turns to face Dinah. “I don’t have an answer for you, honestly. I wish I did.”

“Did you believe it?”

“Me? Like… Did I believe you two’s love story?” Dinah nods.

“No. Well, not at first. It was always so clear she loved you with everything she was, but you seemed focused on other things all the time. Which isn’t your fault. You were just doing whatever you needed to in order to protect Cass and Laurel and Oliver. Somewhere along the line, though, something changed. I don’t know what happened, but when the two of you showed up for the Quarter Quell it was just… different. There was no doubt in my mind by then you loved her.” A moment of silence passes between the two of them before a question crosses Kate’s mind. “Did you love her the whole time?” Dinah’s brow furrows at the question as the elevator doors slide open.

“Go ahead with your propos.” She says as she steps out, leaving Kate alone in the elevator with her unanswered question.

Arthur is flipping and twirling one of his trident’s around like he’s some kind of performer at a party in the Capitol when Dinah enters. He looks up at her and doesn’t falter in the slightest, maneuvering the weapon around his back and over his head and from hand to hand effortlessly. He obviously hasn’t lost his touch despite having not touched a weapon since they were rescued from the arena. Dinah wonders if him not going out into combat for propos with them has been his choice or someone else’s, but she doesn’t ask in case it’s the latter.

“I was beginning to think you’d never show.” Arthur says. “I’m not used to being stood up. I don’t know how I would have carried on.”

“Oh, poor Arthur Curry. What will you do without every single woman in the world falling head over heels in love at first sight with you?” He spins and heaves the trident across the workshop into the center of a target and gives his classic arrogant yet charming smiling over his shoulder to Dinah.

“I’ll just be content with the one love of my life. I appreciate the concern, though, Girl on Fire.” His smile drops suddenly and he goes to sit, gesturing for Dinah to join him at the long work bench. “Did you see the propo?” Dinah closes her eyes at the memory of Helena looking so… not Helena.

“Yeah,” she whispers. Arthur tilts his head to meet her gaze as she slowly opens her eyes again. 

“Are you okay?” Dinah can’t help but let out a small laugh. Tears come to her eyes immediately after.

“It’s my fault.”

“No.” Arthur says assertively. “Dinah, nothing that is happening to her is your fault.”

“Isn’t it? I started all of this. I was the spark. The Girl on Fire. The Mockingjay. I started an entire war, and now she’s paying the price for it. It doesn’t help that I let her out of my sight even when my gut told me not to.”

“Dinah, this war was going to happen eventually one way or another. Someone was going to be the spark. If not you, then maybe someone a year later, or the year after that. There’s no way of knowing what could have happened if only one small thing here or there were different. We can’t sit around and torture ourselves over the what-ifs, alright?” 

“I know that deep down. I just-”

“Can’t help but blame yourself?” Arthur finishes. Dinah lets go of a breath she didn’t even realize she had been holding. Of course Arthur knew how she was feeling. She had heard his nightmares from down the hall just like he had heard hers. They both spent nearly every waking hour agonizing over where they went wrong.

“Yeah,” she says. Arthur sighs and leans back on the bench with a groan as some of his joints pop softly.

“I hear you’re going back to District 7 today?”

“Yeah, we want the districts to see what the Capitol did. And… I want Helena to see it.” Arthur looks somewhat surprised.

“Do they think they’ll be able to get the transmission into the Capitol for her to see it?”

“They have to.” Arthur just gives a nod of understanding, and then he gets up to go retrieve his trident.

District 7 is still the same pile of ash and rubble it was before. There’s still dust and smoke blowing around every now and then, and it reminds everyone present about just how fresh the wound is. Kate takes them to the remains of the Justice Building in the square to start their filming there. Colonel Jordan stays on the hovercraft since the ground has already been secured, but Oliver joins Dinah and the propo team. 

“Dinah, can you tell us what happened here?” Kate asks as Dinah stares ahead at the destroyed building. Maybe it’s having Oliver there with her or having just seen Helena in that propo, but suddenly Dinah thinks she may not be able to do the propo. Nothing has changed about District 7 since she last saw it. She doesn’t speak. She just stares blankly and thinks of everything that happened there. Her volunteering for Cass, Oliver being whipped and Helena being beaten, her being reaped again… Where could she even begin? What part of the story is the beginning and how far is she from the end?

“We were all standing right here.” Oliver says, drawing everyone’s attention to him. He speaks directly to Dinah even though the cameras are on him. “We were watching the games like usual when you fired that arrow. The moment the arrow hit that forcefield the screens went black. We didn’t know what happened. We had no idea if you or Helena were even alive anymore. Last we had seen Helena had been jumped by that burly guy from District 1, Bruce, I think? And you were under the lightning tree taking aim. The peacekeepers started shoving us all into our homes and telling us to stay there. It was silent for about an hour. It felt like longer, though. The whole time was spent worrying about you two. But after that hour… we heard the peacekeepers’ trucks pulling out. All of them. Every single peacekeeper in 7.” Oliver looks off in the distance, nothing but agony and guilt in his eyes. Dinah is too familiar with both emotions to not recognize them. “I knew what that meant.” He whispers. “I went to your house first to get Cass and Laurel, and then me and a couple of the guys from the mill started pulling people from their houses and trying to get them down the alley to the fence line. I sent your mom and Cass and my mom and sisters through and then just kept going back for people as long as I could.” He points in the direction he’s talking about so the film crew can see it. “So many people were scared of the forest, though. They didn’t know what was out there. So they just… headed up. Onto the main road. Tried to make a break for it this way.” He gestures down the road and starts walking down it, leading them all through the events of District 7’s last night. Billy keeps his camera focused on Oliver while Kara tries to capture everything around them that she can.

“You okay?” Anissa whispers, just loud enough for Dinah to hear. She doesn’t trust herself to speak, so she just nods. Oliver guides them up a pile of rubble, and Dinah is all too aware of what awaits them on the other side of it.

“915 of us made it to the fence, and then we watched the bombers circle back towards the road.” He stops at the top, and the rest of the crew seems to falter for a moment at the sight of all of the burned bodies and skeletons in the road. All four of them are completely taken aback by the carnage. Dinah isn’t sure if anyone warned them, but if they did it clearly wasn’t a good enough one. “They firebombed them as they ran away,” Oliver tells them as he squats down, looking out over the sea of people he worked with and traded with and went to school with and stood in the crowd and watched Dinah fight for her life twice with. He takes a deep and shaky breath, and Dinah squats down next to him and offers her hand. He takes it, reminding her of how warm and strong and safe he is, how much of home he is, and he looks at her with grateful but teary eyes. Oliver isn’t one for showing any strong emotions, but Dinah figures it would be hard for anyone in his position to hold back retelling the story. She gives his hand a squeeze, and he looks back out down the road and swallows.

“915 out of 14,000.” His voice cracks over the words, and Dinah wonders which of them is more likely to shatter. “I should have grabbed people. Should have dragged ‘em with me… There were so many kids I could have carried…”

“You saved so many people, Ollie,” Dinah whispers.

“Without you there wouldn’t even be a memory of District 7.” Kate tells him, placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. They all stay there until Oliver and Dinah are both ready to move on.

The six of them go through practically all of District 7. Oliver and Dinah both talk about their dads at Oliver’s home and the house Dinah lived in before she was a victor, about hunting in the woods and how they came to know each other. Oliver shows them where the saw mill and talks about his friends and coworkers, the ones he kept and the ones he lost. They pass what used to be the school and say a little about it. It’s when they pass the bakery that it becomes more difficult. Dinah tries to talk about Barry. He didn’t make it out of the arena. His family didn’t make it out of the district. She and Oliver both failed to save the Allen’s. When they reach where the market stood before the peacekeepers burned it to the ground, Oliver and Dinah both reminisce about the merchants, especially Sal and his wife. They talk about the hot chocolate and his kindness and how the couple was everything that made District 7 bearable. The two of them do their best to breathe some sense of life into the mass grave they’re standing on. When they reach the square once again, Kate takes note of the gallows and asks if anyone they ever knew was tortured there. Oliver responds by pulling his shirt off and turning for them to see every jagged lash mark still on his back. He tells them about Helena trying to protect him from them and about what it felt like to be dragged to a whipping post in front of people you love. Dinah tries to talk about how awful it was to see Oliver and Helena both suffering like that, but Kate quickly saves her and assures her she doesn’t have to talk about it if it’s too much. 

They take a break a little before mid-afternoon for lunch. Dinah and Oliver lead the other four out into the woods and down to the creek where they can rest without the weight of death, hurt, and loss hovering over them. Anissa passes out water canteens and sandwiches to all of them as they settle on the bank of the wider part of the creek, right before it opens out into the lake. Dinah sits down by Billy while they eat. At one point, she spots a bird flitting around, and notices the sound of all of the birds chirping and singing around them. Billy points to a small black bird with white under its wings that has settled on a rock a few feet away, and then he points to the gold pin fastened just over Dinah’s heart. She nods to him, letting him know that he’s right, that it is a mockingjay. He grins and whistles at the bird. It mimics the sound perfectly to him, and the rest of the birds pick it up to form an echoing chorus. His smile widens at that, and he turns to Dinah and puts a hand to his mouth and then stretches it outward.

“You want me to sing?” He nods. The request takes Dinah off guard. The last time she sang was to Terra, and before that, Cass. It isn’t a common request for her, not anymore at least. She thinks for a moment to herself; the first song that comes to mind only makes her think of her makeshift funeral for Terra, but the second one is a song her father used to hum to himself on his walk to work. It wasn’t until Dinah started hunting with him that she got to hear more than just the melody. He said once that her mother didn’t like him singing it around her, so he never sang the lyrics in the house.

 _“Are you, are you, comin’ to the tree? Where they strung up a man, they say who murdered three. Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met, at midnight in the hanging tree.”_ The mockingjays get quiet for a moment, but then a few start to pick up the new melody Dinah is offering. _“Are you, are you, comin’ to the tre? Where a dead man called out, for his love to flee. Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met, at midnight in the hanging tree.”_ The mockingjays have gone quiet, but she’s sure they’ll pick up the melody in only a moment. The song is only four verses and the tune has next to no variation. _“Are you, are you, coming to the tree? Where I told you to run, so we’d both be free. Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met, at midnight in the hanging tree.”_ There’s a hush in the trees, and the birds are making no effort to pick up Dinah’s melody. _“Are you, are you, coming to the tree? Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me. Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met, at midnight in the hanging tree.”_ There’s nothing but the rustling of leaves in the wind. Everyone is watching Dinah so intently. Kara is even filming. Dinah is about to speak, to put herself out of her own misery from the awkward silence, when seemingly every mockingjay suddenly decides to continue the melody Dinah gave them and perform their own version of “The Hanging Tree.” They get through two verses before Kate yells “Cut!” and she and Anissa celebrate getting something they seem to think Ellen will be beyond happy with. Oliver scoots closer to where Dinah is and offers her a few blueberries from his pack. 

“And may the odds,” he says before popping one into his mouth with a smile. Dinah rolls her eyes but still laughs.

“Be ever in your favor.” She finishes, following suit with her own blueberry.

Before leaving to return to District 13, they make a stop in the Victor’s Village so Dinah can gather some herbs and other things her mom and Cass requested. Oliver wanders the downstairs aimlessly while the propo team stays just outside the front door reviewing footage. Dinah is grabbing a few books her mom requested when Oliver finally breaks the silence between them.

“Helena carved all of these?” His voice is soft, and there’s genuine curiosity in it as he looks at the array of wood carvings scattered about the shelves of the office.

“Yeah,” Dinah says. “It felt like she was always carving something.” Oliver runs his fingers across a figurine of an elk, tall and graceful with detailed antlers.

“Would you mind if I kept this one?” He asks. Dinah doesn’t know what to say. She tells him yes, of course, but she feels like there’s more to be said. She thinks she should have a question about why he wants to keep it, but she knows there’s layers to it between her and him and Helena and him at the same time. He tucks it into his own bag and continues looking at all of them while Dinah slips off to the kitchen to get the herbs Laurel needs. She’s gathering the last of them when she hears Oliver’s knuckles drag against the wood of the kitchen table.

“This is where you kissed me,” he says when she turns to look at him.

“I didn’t think you remembered that.”

“I would have to be dead to forget that,” he whispers as she approaches him. “And maybe not even then. Maybe I’ll be like the man in ‘The Hanging Tree.’ Still just waiting for an answer.” Dinah moves before she even thinks about doing so and leans up on her toes to meet his lips with hers. It’s just like every other time they’ve kissed before; gentle and loving and warm, and it brings a sense of comfort. He pulls away first for once. Dinah can tell something is wrong.

“I knew you would do that.” He tells her with a sad smile.

“How? I didn’t know I would.” He huffs out a small laugh.

“Because I’m in pain.” Every bit of hurt her loving Helena has caused him shines in his eyes. “That’s the only way I get your attention anymore.” Dinah feels her heart sink.

“Ollie, I-”

“It’s okay, Canary. I know. The moment you kissed her in that cave, I knew. And it’s okay. I just want you to be happy. And she’s good. She’s really good. And she loves you. And you love her.” He sniffs and tries to blink away tears that have begun to reappear in his eyes. “If she’s who you pick, it will be okay. Don’t worry about me. This will pass,” he says, tapping his hand over his heart twice and then slipping out from between Dinah and the table to head outside.

Dinah is more than happy to return to District 13 after leaving the Victor’s Village. The wreckage that was once home was becoming suffocating with each passing moment, and just being around Oliver had become more and more painful since they touched the ground of District 7 earlier that morning. She heads straight to her compartment with the intent to rest. Cass breaks out a deck of cards for them to play a game at their small table while her mother organizes the items Dinah returned with.

“Who all went with you? Just you and your propo team?” Laurel asks, trying to make enough conversation to see how the day went.

“Your turn,” Dinah tells Cass before looking up at her mom. “No, Oliver came, too. It was just us and the propo team, though. Kate said Ellen offered for Renee to come, but she said it would be too painful without a bottle to get her through it, so.”

“How was Oliver? I worry about him after everything.”

“Yeah, me too. He was… I don’t know how to explain it really. Like he was sad, but mostly-”

“About you?” Cass finishes. Dinah groans in frustration.

“Yeah, I guess. I don’t want to keep hurting him.” Laurel gives her older daughter a sympathetic look.

“Dinah, you can’t choose who-”

“Ms. Lance?” Dinah, Cass, and Laurel all look up at the interruption. Hal is standing in the doorway looking a little more stressed than Dinah is used to seeing from the normally calm man. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but you’re needed in Command right away.”

“Oh, uh.” Dinah isn’t sure what to do. She doesn’t want to just skip out and leave Cass and her mother to deal with the cards and putting away everything in her bag by themselves. Especially not for another propo viewing. “Can it wait for like two minutes?”

“It’s urgent.” Dinah huffs as she stands up.

“I know the propos are important, but do they-”

“Dinah!” Hal snaps. “It’s about Helena.” Dinah’s heart stops for a moment. She would have stood there frozen all night if not for her mother pushing her towards the door.

“Go! Don’t worry about cleaning up; we’ve got it!” Dinah gives a quick thanks, slips on her shoes, and then rushes for the elevator with Colonel Jordan just a step behind her. Every possibility goes through her head on their way there. It feels like the elevator is going ten times slower than normal. It becomes too much to wait on by the time the doors slide open, and she takes off at a run down the hall for the command center. She pushes through the heavy double doors to be met with the sound of Helena’s voice, but it’s a little raspier than it should be.

“Tonight, we have received reports of derailed trains, of granaries on fire,” Dinah rounds the corner and looks up at the screen playing the Capitol’s broadcast. She feels her knees give out beneath her, but Arthur is right there to catch her and help hold her up. Helena looks like she’s lost a bit more weight, she looks tired, her movements are stiff and stunted like she’s trying to avoid moving in any way because it hurts, and her hands have that same tremor as last time. The worst part by far, though, is that the usual fire in her eyes is completely gone, and Dinah feels like she’s looking at a shell of who Helena once was. She feels a hand on her back as someone else comes to also help comfort her and turns her head to see Harley working just as hard to hold back tears as Dinah is.

“She’s worse,” Dinah whispers brokenly. Arthur and Harley both offer her their hands, trying to give her an anchor of some sort, and Dinah tries desperately to hold on.

“And of a savage attack on a hydroelectric dam in District 5.” Helena adds. “I am begging for restraint and decency.”

“Oh, what have they done to you?” Dinah whispers. She vaguely notices that Zatana and Renee are both close by in case Dinah needs their support as well. Oliver is watching closely in case he’s needed, but he has located himself a little further down in the room where the propo team is watching. Hal, Ellen, and President Gordon are to their right watching with unreadable expressions. They all watch as the screen goes static, and then Dinah is on their screen walking through the rubble of District 7, the audio of her singing from earlier in the day playing over it. 

“That’s it!” Ellen yells in excitement. “Victor is in!” The static comes back, and then Helena is visible again. Her eyes have some sense of life again as she leans forward in the chair, a distressed look forming on her face in an instant.

“Dinah?” She asks, hopeful and broken.

“She sees it! She sees our propo.” President Gordon sounds a little excited as well, which is a first for Dinah since the woman has never expressed an emotion that she can remember witnessing. The static appears again, and then it’s footage of Terra and Helena and then Terra and Helena and Dinah and then Dinah covering Terra in flowers all while Arthur talks about the girl’s life and impact. It goes static once more, and Dinah only gets a glimpse of Helena’s panicked expression before she sees herself on the screen again, the lyrics of “The Hanging Tree” becoming more haunting with every second. The broadcast cuts back to Helena.

“Dinah, are you here?” Dinah rushes a few steps forward. She knows Helena can’t see or hear her, but to not move, to not try, no matter how impossible, to let Helena know she’s there, would be devastating. Just as she’s about to reach out towards the screen, Victor manages to cut into the broadcast once more, but he must believe he doesn’t have long before the Capitol successfully locks him back out because he seems to pull out the biggest propo weapon he has. Dinah watches as a propo of them in the Quarter Quell plays on the screen. It’s only about ten seconds before it gets cut off, but in that ten seconds everyone gets to see Helena holding the morphling in the water, Dinah, Arthur, and her laughing on the beach, and Dinah kissing her and really meaning it for the first time. Helena appears back on their massive screen in Command, and even though so many people are cheering about Victor breaking through, Dinah knows that Renee, Arthur, Oliver, Harley, and Zatanna can see exactly what she sees. How with every clip they show Helena slips farther and farther from their grasp. Helena’s eyes are more panicky than ever before, her shaking has gotten worse, tears fill her eyes, and the way her broken voice calls out silences every cheer in Command.

“Dinah, please, don’t leave me.” She begs. Victor has been locked out, though. All signs of Dinah are gone, and Helena looks like she’s just been abandoned.

“Helena,” John Constantine’s voice calls out to her from off-camera. “Please, continue.” Helena seems disoriented still, but she takes a shaky breath and looks back into the camera. “You were telling us about these savage attacks?”

“Yes, uh. The attack on the dam was a callous a-and inhuman act of destructi-” Suddenly and unexpectedly, Helena is cut off with another propo clip. It’s the two of them, beneath the lightning tree. 

_“Just come back to me, okay?”_

_“Always.”_

And then Helena is back, but her eyes are set on the camera as she leans forward to make her plea. Dinah can see the fear in them; it’s unmistakable. But below that, she can see the determination.

“Think about it,” she says. “How will this end? What is going to be left? No one can survive this. No one is safe now. Not here in the Capitol. Not in any of the districts.” Her eyes dart up for a split second, and Dinah’s stomach drops knowing what Helena is going to do just from that look. Helena inhales sharply, and then sets her eyes on the camera like she’s looking right at her. “And not in District 13. Dinah, you’ll be dead by morning!” Victor takes on what seems like a blitz attack immediately, flashing pictures of Dinah in District 8 and the remains of District 7 every few seconds, but in between those pictures are split seconds of what’s happening in the Capitol. Roman Sionis’ voice, enraged and panicked, is unmistakable.

“End it! Now!” There’s the white of peacekeeper uniforms, an obvious struggle, the camera hits the light hardwood floor, Helena yells for Dinah, there’s a clear sound of impact inseparable from Helena’s cry of pain, her blood splatters onto the hardwood, and as the gold Capitol seal takes over the otherwise black screen, Dinah drops to her knees and screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *doja cat voice* my mistake. was thinking that everyone else would find this funny


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two things! with this update im pretty sure this fic has become the longest fic in the helena/dinah tag. which i think is cool as fuck especially since theres still a ton of story left here. thank yall for sticking with me for like 130k thousand words so far. you guys rock.
> 
> that being said. as per usual when a chapter like this comes around. i am sorry in advance. and good luck.

“That was a warning,” Renee tells everyone. Arthur drops beside Dinah and pulls her into his arms, doing everything he can to calm and console her. The room is nothing but chaos. Everyone is raising their voices at each other all while Dinah silently screams into Arthur’s shoulder.

“Was it a threat?” A soldier asks.

“A threat?” Ellen sounds irritated by the question. “To District 13? To Dinah? From Helena? Really?”

“It is a valid question, Ellen,” President Gordon states calmly. Dinah looks at Arthur in a panic. She can’t get words out, but he knows what she’s thinking. Everyone who has never met Helena is debating her message and doubting her credibility even though she risked everything to give them that message. 

“Shut up!” Oliver shouts. All eyes turn to him and the room goes silent. Even Dinah pulls herself together at his command. Oliver looks around at all of them and then focuses on President Gordon. “This isn’t some big mystery. Helena is telling us that we’re going to be attacked. She’s giving us a warning. We can’t waste that.”

“How would she have that information?” Colonel Jordan asks. His tone isn’t accusatory, though; he’s just wondering.

“By the looks of it she’s in Sionis’ mansion,” Arthur says. “She probably overheard something.”

“We have to get her out of there. They’re going to kill her.” Dinah practically begs. President Gordon looks over to a pair of soldiers at a desk in front of several screens.

“What are we seeing in the air?”

“Nothing on doppler right now, ma’am.” Gordon looks around for a moment at everyone in the room. She doesn’t seem alarmed in the slightest. She taps her fingers on the top of the control board in front of her a few times before addressing them all in an even more controlled manner than usual.

“It’s time for an air raid drill.” One of the soldiers types something out across the controls in front of him quickly, and then an eardrum-piercing, fear-inducing siren starts to sound. Arthur lifts Dinah off the floor, making sure she’s steady on her feet before letting go. A robotic voice informs everyone that they are in a code red drill and to proceed to level 40 immediately in a calm and orderly fashion. They have six minutes before the blast doors shut, sealing everyone in, or out. 

Colonel Jordan rushes over and gives Dinah, Arthur, Harley, and Zatanna directions on the quickest way to the stairs, and then he essentially kicks them out of the room. The people of District 13 are crowding the stairwells, but fortunately Command is on level 38, so they only have to make it down two flights of stairs. Their group of four splits in half as they reach the bunkers divided by what floor everyone lives on. Harley and Zatanna offer a quick goodbye and reminder to stay safe before heading for their bunker while Arthur and Dinah head into theirs. Each bed is labelled to coincide with a compartment, and it doesn’t take long for Dinah to find hers. Laurel is already there, pacing in front of a bunk bed.

“Mom!” Dinah shouts as she jogs over. She throws herself into Laurel’s arms, but then she pulls back immediately. “Where’s Cass?” Devastation is written across her mother’s face.

“She didn’t come with you? She went to find you.”

“Fuck,” Dinah whispers. She turns and heads back for the large steel doors. They’ll close in one minute and Cass will be locked out. A soldier yells for Dinah to come back as she exits the bunker, but nobody can stop her. She screams for Cass as she rushes up the stairs over and over with no response, and then,

“We’re coming!” Oliver. Dinah watches as he becomes visible in the low red lighting of the stairwell, rushing down each step with Cass on his back. She waits the few seconds it takes him to reach her, and then they head for the bunker as the voice above begins to countdown from ten. Dinah is terrified they aren’t going to make it, but then she sees Arthur and Laurel standing between the steel doors arguing with the two soldiers there so they can’t shut the doors on time.

“We’re here!” Dinah yells to everyone as they reach the bottom. “We’re here!” They rush through the doors just as the countdown finishes. The moment Laurel and Arthur step away from the door each soldier moves to turn a large crank, sliding the doors shut to seal them in. Laurel turns and pulls Arthur into a tight hug.

“Thank you,” she whispers. Dinah watches the way his face shifts and wonders for a moment if he has any family other than Mera. He hesitantly wraps his arms around her and returns the embrace. Dinah turns to Cass as she slides off Oliver’s back.

“Are you okay?” She asks.

“Yeah, I’m alright.” Cass says. Oliver and Arthur go to find their own places in the bunker while Laurel and Dinah lead Cass to where they’re meant to be. Just as Dinah and Cass sit on a bed together, the first bomb hits. The whole bunker shakes, a few lights flicker, and some people, mostly children, scream. Dinah takes a deep breath to keep herself calm. She doesn’t want anyone around her to see weakness. She has to hold it together. The bombs continue; the second, then the third, then the fourth. The lights black out, and then, moments later, a dim orange light comes on in the room with the hum of a backup generator that must be powering them. Laurel is summoned somewhere around an hour later by a soldier because there’s someone in the bunker in need of first aid. She looks hesitant to leave her daughters, but Dinah and Cass both assure her they'll be okay.

“How do you feel?” Cass asks softly. Dinah doesn’t know how to respond. Cass will surely see through any lie, but telling her the truth still seems like too much to Dinah. She must sit there in silence for a considerable amount of time because Cass looks around them to see if anyone is listening and then speaks again, “I don’t think President Sionis is going to kill Helena.” Dinah’s gaze shoots up from the ground to her sister.

“What makes you say that?”

“If he kills Helena, then there’s nobody left he can hurt you with.” Dinah’s mouth falls open a little at the realization that Cass is absolutely right. He killed Ivy. He blew her home to pieces. Her family, both blood and chosen, are out of his reach in District 13 with her. All he has is Helena. The thought reminds her of one of her allies who was also left behind. Nobody has said anything to or around her about Diana. The woman said she had nobody. She taunted Sionis about how he couldn’t hurt her anymore. The closest thing to family she had left by the time Dinah blew the forcefield of the arena out was Arthur. Would Sionis use her against Arthur? Or would he just kill her?

“Then what do you think they’ll do to her?” Dinah asks quietly. Cass’ answer is immediate; there’s no hesitancy to it and a layer of wisdom Dinah couldn’t have expected.

“Whatever it takes to break you.” Dinah feels her heart sink at the words. What will break her? She’s terrified to find out the answer to the question. She never wants to. She sees Arthur a few bunks away, laying there and staring up blankly.

“I’m gonna go check on Arthur, okay?” She whispers. Cass nods and goes to dig around in the bag placed at each bunk to see what they have. Dinah makes the short walk down the aisle. She knows he sees her coming because he swings his legs over the edge of his bed and sits up to make room for her.

“Hey,” he says, patting the empty space on the dark green sheets. “How are you feeling?” Dinah sits down with a sigh.

“To be completely honest, terrible.” He nods understandingly. “He’s using them against us, Arthur.” He inhales sharply through his nose, looks up at the ceiling for a moment, and then back at Dinah.

“You know, after your first games, I really thought the whole romance thing was just some big act. It came up a lot in conversation between Diana, Clark, and I leading up to the reapings and after. We wondered how you two would play it if you both went in. We agreed upon the assumption that you two would continue that strategy. Because that’s what it seemed like to us: a strategy.” He rubs his hands on his thighs and smiles sadly at Dinah. “But then, she hit that forcefield. She nearly died. Her heart had stopped. And you… I knew right then I had misjudged you. Later on, Diana said she could tell from just minutes with you two on the beach. It’s clear you love her.”

“How do you live with it?” Dinah asks. Arthur tilts his head back and forth like he’s trying to decide between two answers.

“I drag myself out of nightmares. And then there’s no relief in waking up.” Dinah just nods. She knows the feeling. “I figure there’s no point in giving in, though. It takes ten times longer to put yourself back together than it does to fall apart.”

Dinah and Arthur sit together in silence, comforted by the presence of the only person in the entirety of District 13 who understands their specific situation. She returns to her own bed when it starts to feel late and finds her mother and Cass both asleep in their own beds. She’s about to crawl into her own when someone calls her name in a whisper. She turns to find Hal approaching her with a flashlight in hand. He asks her to come with him back to Command. The walk is long and quiet aside from him asking how she’s feeling. Unlike Cass, she lies to him. He doesn’t seem to buy it either, though. He lets her walk into Command on her own and stays outside the door as it closes. She approaches a long desk where President Gordon is sitting alone, looking tired for once.

“Dinah, how are your mother and sister?” She asks when she notices her presence.

“They’re okay. They made it to the bunker safely.”

“Good,” Gordon turns in her chair to face Dinah. “I know we ask a lot of you, and I know tonight has been stressful, but I need to ask you to do something for us.”

“What is it?”

“I need you to tell Panem that we’ve survived an attack by the Capitol with no casualties, and that we remain fully operational.”

“Okay.”

“You should know something, Dinah.” Gordon looks down at a notepad in front of her and then back at Dinah. “We had eight extra minutes to evacuate everyone to the bunkers because of Helena’s warning. Ellen estimates that eight minutes saved over a thousand lives. We won’t forget that.” Dinah nods. A thousand lives. Oliver and Cass barely made it. Helena saved their lives.

“Thank you.”

The walk up the stairwell to the outside is agonizingly long, but Hal seems to have rallied an entire crew for their expeditions. Ellen, Zatanna, Renee, Oliver, Arthur, and the whole propo team are heading up with them. When they reach the top, he opens a large hatch, and Dinah is surprised by the bright lights that have been set up for them to film in the dark of night. Everything is a massive pile of rubble. Just like District 7. But in the center of the rubble is what causes Dinah to freeze in her tracks. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of pristine white roses are scattered on the ground before them all.

“Why would they drop these?” Oliver asks, holding one up. 

“For me,” Dinah says.

“You ready, Dinah?” Kate asks. “We’ll do it just like District 8.” Dinah doesn’t say anything. “Can you tell me about the roses?” She stays silent as she stares down at the flowers. The message. “Tell Sionis that 13 is alive and well.”

“He’s gonna kill Helena.” Dinah whispers breathlessly.

“Can you speak up? We don’t have a mic on you.” Anissa says from beside Billy.

“13 is alive and well, and so am I. That’s all you have to say, Dinah.” Ellen tells her. It’s like Kate can see the threads holding Dinah together slowly coming apart before her because she shakes her head at Ellen and signals for her team to stop filming.

“Dinah?” Kate asks gently.

“You can do it, Canary.” Oliver says in an attempt to help.

“We should stop.” Zatanna tells them all.

“We need this footage.” Ellen tries to argue.

“No, it needs to wait.” Arthur says.

“I can’t do this. He’s gonna kill her.” Renee moves quickly to get in front of Dinah.

“It’s alright, sweetheart.”

“No. No. It isn’t. He’s going to kill her.”

“He wouldn’t do that.” Renee says it like she’s already been down the path of realization Dinah visited earlier in the evening. She shakes her head at her mentor.

“No. He would. He wants to break me. That’s how. He’s going to kill her and it’s going to be my fault. She’s going to be dead and it will be my fault. Renee, she’s- she’s dead and it’s my fault.”

“We aren’t making her do this right now.” Hal says, putting his foot down to the entire group. Zatanna joins Renee at Dinah’s side.

“How about we go back inside, dear? Get a warm drink and try to rest?” Dinah doesn’t know if she wants to do that, but she knows she doesn’t want to stay out there with the smell of roses lingering in the air so heavily. She let’s Zatanna guide her away and vaguely notices Kate and Ellen coming up with a script for Arthur to take her place in the propo as she goes.

The warm drink does little to make her feel better, and so Dinah just sits there in silence at a table by herself. Dinah asked for a moment alone, and Zatanna, hesitantly, had obliged. She barely notices the sound of boots on the cafeteria floor as someone approaches her from behind. Renee sits down next to her with a groan.

“I’m getting old as shit.” She grumbles. Dinah doesn’t say anything, but she does look at her. Renee sighs dramatically. “God, no small talk? No friendly conversation? You’re gonna make me jump right into the heavy stuff?” Dinah’s eyes narrow.

“What heavy stuff?”

“They’re going to try and get Helena out.” Dinah jerks upright and her hand shoots up to grab Renee’s arm.

“Like… a rescue attempt?”

“Yeah, exactly. Colonel Jordan went down to Command almost right after you left and had a long, and pretty loud, conversation. Then everyone’s communicuffs sounded off and we all got summoned to Command to hear the big plan. Victor has been wreaking havoc on the Capitol’s tech signals or whatever since some dam got blown apart by rebels. Ellen was able to get in touch with one of her last few contacts in the Capitol last week, and they said Helena and the other victors are being held in the Tribute Center.”

“Why are they just now doing something about it?”

“Because it’s risky. But… it’s worth the risk. They can’t lose the Mockingjay right now, so they’ll do whatever it takes to keep you going. And after some rallying from Colonel Jordan and Kate it seems they’re all on the same page. They know you won’t be able to keep doing this if you think Sionis can use Helena against you, so they’re going to make sure he can’t.”

“So I take it Colonel Jordan is leading the mission?”

“Yeah, he’s taking the lead. From there it was volunteer only.”

“Who else?”

“I think there were eight total. They left about fifteen minutes ago.” Dinah can tell Renee is evading the question. She’s terrible at it. And it makes Dinah feel sick.

“Renee. Who else is going?” Renee sighs and gives Dinah her usual knowing look.

“Dinah, you know exactly who the first brave soul to volunteer was.” Dinah can already feel the tears coming to her eyes.

“Oliver.” Renee nods.

Dinah spends their entire walk down to Command thinking about the fact that she might lose both of them. She doesn’t want to imagine a world with neither of them in it, but it’s the only thing coming to her mind. When they enter the room, the screens are divided up. The left side is divided into 4 smaller screens, each one broadcasting from the camera on the helmet of each person who volunteered to rescue Helena and the others. On the right side is Arthur standing out amongst the roses in the night. He’s telling everyone who he is and where he is and basically doing Dinah’s job for her.

“But I’m not here to give you recent news,” Arthur tells the camera.

“What is he doing?” Dinah asks.

“Victor has commandeered the system.” Gordon tells her from where she’s standing a few feet away at a control panel with Victor and Ellen. “By broadcasting Arthur to the Capitol it creates a strong enough distraction to make their defense signals vulnerable. We’ll use the opportunity it provides to get our squadron in undetected.”

“President Sionis used to sell me… for my body,” Arthur begins. Dinah is taken by surprise. She isn’t shocked Sionis would do something so horrible, but how she never knew what Arthur had faced escapes her. “I wasn’t the only one, though. Maybe the most popular, but not the only one. If a victor is seen as desirable, then the President gives them out as a reward, or for an exorbitant amount of money. If you refuse, then he kills someone you love. People would bring jewels or money or anything else to try and make themselves feel better about what they were doing, but I found a form of payment much more useful, and interesting.”

 _Secrets,_ Dinah thinks, remembering her first meeting with Arthur before the Quarter Quell’s Tribute Parade.

“Secrets.” Arthur tells everything. He spares no detail, either, making it almost impossible to doubt the authenticity of the secrets he shares with his audience. Everything from love affairs to attempted coups. Dinah can tell from the look on the faces of the former Capitol citizens in the room, Zatanna, Harley, and even Ellen from time to time, that everything they’re hearing is completely shell-shocking. It makes sense. The Capitol would explode with gossip if someone changed their hairstyle. The things Arthur reveals are far more interesting than anything they’ve ever had. It’s when he reaches the story of President Sionis, though, that everyone in the room, even those not from the Capitol, begin to hang on his words. He explains Sionis’ rise to power. How every move in his career came down to poison. It was how he killed his own father in order to take his place. And from there it only continued. 

“Is that what happened to you? Did you refuse him?” Dinah whispers.

“No.” Renee says. “I did something in my games to earn Sionis’ retaliation.” Dinah’s head snaps to the left to look at her fellow victor. The idea that District 7’s only victor’s were both a source of trouble during their games probably didn’t help get Sionis on her side after her own games. “I used the force field to my advantage. It’s a long story, but the point is he didn’t like it. I came home from my victory tour and everyone I loved was dead.”

“He made you an example.” Renee nods.

“He needed someone to point at and say ‘This is what happens when you don’t fall in line’ to all of the Arthurs and Dianas who would come along later.” Dinah makes the conscious choice not to say or ask anything else about it. She doesn’t want to push Renee into talking anymore about something so painful if she doesn’t want to. She knows how much she hates when people try to get her to talk about Helena or the Hunger Games. She focuses her attention on the side of the screen where the rescue team is being shown. She can see Oliver on the screen from Colonel Jordan’s helmet camera.

“10, 9, 8,” A woman sitting at the main control panel begins the countdown to the team entering Capitol airspace. Either Victor will have done his job successfully, or Oliver and Colonel Jordan and the other six members of their team will be blasted out of the sky. 

“Has anybody updated Dick?” Harley asks, turning to let her gaze bounce around everyone who may know the answer. Her and Zatanna’s hands are tightly interlocked.

“7, 6, 5,”

“No,” Ellen answers. “I’m hoping our next call to District 2 will be me telling him she’s here and safe.”

“4, 3, 2, 1,” Dinah holds her breath awaiting the signs of an attack on the hovercraft, but nothing comes. A moment later, Hal’s voice crackles over the line.

“Command, we have eyes on the Tribute Center. Preparing to approach.” The team on the hovercraft begins preparing to enter the building. Dinah tunes back into what Arthur is saying as he continues the elaborate tale of Roman Sionis, but her eyes are locked on the other half of the screen.

He poisoned his adversaries and any allies he thought could eventually become threats. He lists so many names. People who died suddenly at dinner or seemingly developed a strange virus that killed them. All of them killed by poison from President Roman Sionis himself. 

The team moves through the center with an impressive efficiency, but there’s no sign of where they may be keeping Helena and the others. Dinah worries for a moment that the information was wrong; Helena may not even actually be there. 

The way Sionis kept everyone off his trail, Arthur explains, was by drinking from the same cup the poison was in. He used an antidote after every time, but sometimes it wasn’t enough. It was why he always had roses on and around him: to make the metallic smell of blood from sores in his mouth that can never fully heal. 

The screen flashes white, and behind the loud sound of static Dinah can hear that Oliver and the rest of the team have been taken by surprise. Victor leans forward as several bars and lines on his screen flash red and yellow.

“I’m losing signal,” he informs everyone watching him. “They must be using a backup power source of some kind to reboot their system. We have about sixty seconds before we’re kicked out entirely again.

“Should we call back the hovercraft?” A soldier asks President Gordon. She looks like she’s considering it, but Dinah spits the words out without thinking.

“Broadcast me.” Everyone’s eyes turn to her. “There’s no way Sionis isn’t watching this. If he sees me, then he might let the signal in.”

“Yes!” Ellen tells them. “This is our only chance.”

“Put her on.” Gordon orders. Victor and Renee rush to uncoil a small camera on a table and hook it to the control panel. They set it up so it’s facing Dinah.

“The line will only be open for a moment longer, but all he will see is you. Go for it,” Victor tells her.

“President Sionis?” She calls out. “This is Dinah Lance, President Sionis. I need to speak with you. Are you there?”

“We have no guarantee he’s even watching,” President Gordon whispers to Ellen. Dinah ignores her. It has to work. It’s their only chance. It has to.

“President Sionis, can you hear me? I need to speak with you. Are you there?” Desperation starts to creep into her voice as she notices how peoples’ heads begin to hang. “President Sionis, are you there? President Sionis?” There’s silence for a moment as they wait and hope, and then the white of the screen fades into a static and then into an image of President Sionis smiling at them.

“Miss Lance, what an honor. I don’t imagine you’re calling to thank me for the roses,” he says with a short laugh. “What with you being the almighty Mockingjay now. How does it feel to be the cause of so much loss and destruction, little bird?”

“I never asked for this. I never asked to be the Mockingjay. I never asked to be in the Hunger Games. All I ever wanted was to protect my sister, and to keep Helena alive.” Victor tries quietly to reach Colonel Jordan’s radio off in the back corner of the room. “Just let her go, please, and I will stop being the Mockingjay. I will disappear forever, and you will never have to see either of us ever again.” Sionis laughs.

“Sure. Listen, Miss Lance, you couldn’t run from this any more than you could have run from the games.” Victor waves over President Gordon as Hal’s voice comes over his radio.

“You’ve already won,” Dinah tells Sionis. “You beat me. If you release Helena, then you can have me instead.” He smirks as he shakes his head.

“Convincing.” The word chills Dinah to the bone. _"Convince me that you are in love."_ She’s assaulted with the heavy stench of roses in her home’s office back in District 7. “I hate to break this to you, though, but we are far past the point of noble sacrifices. You’re about two Hunger Games too late for that one.”

“Then tell me what to do. I’ll do anything,” she begs. “I’ve always kept my promises, haven’t I?”

“You said you didn’t want a war, little bird, and that is exactly what happened!” Sionis snaps, his anger getting the best of him. He takes a breath to compose himself and smooths back his hair with his gloved hands. “I told you what a fragile thing peace was. And you still just had to go and break it. Like a child with a toy. I know what you are. You can’t see anything past your narrowest concerns. You’re selfish. But please, Miss Lance, I doubt you have any idea what honesty is anymore.”

“You asked me to convince you I was in love with Helena. Haven’t I at least done that?” President Sionis’ smile widens.

“Miss Lance, it’s the things we love the most that destroy us. I want you to remember I said that, kay?” Dinah feels her chest constrict as he tilts his head at her in amusement. “Don’t tell me you thought I didn’t know your little friends are in the Tribute Center?” Dinah is filled with dread as he orders someone to cut them off and the screens go white once more, bringing a blank static over every communication device as well.

“He knows they’re in there,” she says as she turns to Renee. “It’s a trap. We have to get a hold of them. We have to tell them to get out! He knows.”

“We can’t,” Ellen says. “We’ve completely lost signal.”

“No, Renee, no. He was taunting me! The whole time, he knew and he was taunting me.” Renee pulls Dinah into her arms, but nobody can stop the oncoming breakdown. “Did I lose them both tonight? Did I lose them both? I lost them both.” 

“Take her somewhere more comfortable,” President Gordon orders. A pair of strong arms lifts Dinah up. Arthur, having made his way down to Command with the propo team when they were initially cut off, basically carries Dinah out as she sobs and screams into his shoulder. He takes her to the cafeteria and sets her at one of the tables. She’s still crying, but her screaming has been replaced with a broken whisper from time to time.

“I lost them.”

“Dinah, we don’t know that,” he attempts before sighing. He digs around in the deep pockets of his grey District 13 uniform and pulls out two pieces of rope. He sits beside her and holds on out to her. “Here, let’s tie knots. It won’t do much, but… It helps sometimes.” Dinah takes the rope and copies his movements as he ties a knot and then unties the knot and then ties a different knot and then unties that one. Over and over. 

Tie a knot. Think about Helena. Untie the knot. Think about Oliver. Tie a knot. Helena in the arena. Untie the knot. Oliver in the woods. Tie a knot. Helena, beaten and on the ground. Untie the knot. Oliver, whipped and tied to the post. Tie a knot. Helena’s wood carvings. Untie the knot. Oliver’s snares. Tie a knot. Helena and Laurel cooking. Untie the knot. Oliver and Cass having a snowball fight. Tie a knot. _“Are you familiar?”_ Untie the knot. _“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”_ Tie a knot. _“Why are you doing this?”_ Untie the knot. _“I wanted to do that… at least once.”_ Tie a knot. _“You love him.”_ Untie the knot. _“This would be better if she were easier to hate.”_ Tie a knot. _“Maybe we were wrong.”_ Untie the knot. _“They just have to be brave enough to take it.”_ Tie a knot. _“It’s okay. You won’t.”_ Untie the knot. _“Because I’m in pain.”_ Tie a knot. _“Always.”_ Untie the knot. _“Never.”_ Tie a knot. Helena. Untie the knot. Oliver. Tie a knot. Helena and Oliver. Untie the knot. Oliver and Helena. Tie a knot. She lost them both. Untie the knot.

“Did you love Mera right away?” Dinah whispers.

“No.” There’s a long pause before Arthur smiles softly to himself and adds, “She crept up on me.” They both look over at the sound of someone approaching to find President Gordon making her way over to them.

“There’s no news yet. I’m sorry.” And Dinah can tell she means it. President Gordon is not a particularly warm person, but for some reason it seems she's been making a stronger effort to connect with Dinah lately. Arthur squeezes his eyes shut at the news, or lack thereof, and excuses himself for a moment. Gordon sits down next to Dinah. “It’s the worst torture in the world… Waiting when you know that there’s nothing you can do.” 

“Yeah,” Dinah whispers, wiping her tears. She thinks briefly about how Gordon lost her whole family, and there was nothing she could do to help them. The two sit together in silence until Arthur returns, fresh tear tracks on his face. Gordon leaves the two of them there in the peace and quiet once again. It isn’t until hours later that someone comes to them again. It’s got to be early morning outside. Arthur notices the presence first, and then Dinah looks up when she notices how stiff he’s gone. Renee stands at the entrance smiling.

“They’re back.” Arthur and Dinah are up in no time, running to the medbay with Renee. Dinah is sure she’s never run faster in her life as she speeds past both of them and bursts through the doors. The first thing she notices is the commotion at one of the beds. She looks over to find Diana, covered in bruises and looking as bad as Helena did the other night, arguing with a pair of nurses and a doctor. 

“Arthur!” Dinah whips around to watch as a woman throws herself out of another bed and runs at him. “Arthur!”

“Mera!” She watches as the two collide and he lifts her up and holds her. They cling to each other like they’re never going to let go again, and Dinah feels a pang of jealousy. Not for their love, but for the certainty of it.

Dinah looks everywhere hoping to see Helena, but she’s not in the main area of the medbay. She spots Oliver, though, and runs to him. She pulls him into a quick hug.

“Are you okay?” The look on his face is the one he always gets when he’s troubled. “What’s wrong?”

“They had us. They had everything back online and ready. They could have shot us down with ease, but they let us go right through.” He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter right now. She’s in there.” He points just down the hall to an exam room. “The gas we used on the guards knocked her out, too, so she may be a bit out of it.” Dinah pulls him into another quick hug, tighter this time.

“Thank you,” she breathes out, and then she’s running down the hall for Helena.

Her heart stops when she enters the room. Renee, who followed right behind her, closes the door gently. She has her back to the door and doesn’t even notice Dinah enter. Her focus is on the pair of doctors in front of her. One is writing things on a clipboard while the other shines a light in her eyes. The two of them must get some signal from Renee to leave because they immediately stop what they’re doing and exit the exam room. She’s smaller, almost fragile looking, and has bruises on her arms, one large one on the back of her neck near her shoulder, and another smaller one on her jawline. There’s undoubtedly plenty more that are covered by the hospital gown they have her in. It’s her, though.

“Helena,” Dinah breathes. The girl lifts her head a little at the sound, but she makes no move to turn. Dinah slowly walks around to stand in front of her, gasping softly at bruises on her face and the deep cut on her forehead that’s recently been stitched. Helena’s brow furrows for a moment, like she isn’t sure what she’s seeing is real. Dinah takes a small step forward to try and hug her.

And then Helena’s hands are wrapped around Dinah’s neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i did <3
> 
> comment if you feel so compelled. i enjoy reading them and am v grateful for them. and i do a pretty good job of responding to all of them i think. until next time :)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> would you look at that? i'm back.
> 
> PSA- this is the only dinah/helena fic i am going to continue updating for the foreseeable future. i am leaving any completed stuff for them up, and i am leaving nine lives up. but because i do not know if i will ever have the motivation to complete the others (the soulmate au, werewolf au, and dancing with the stars au) i have taken them down. i have all of the chapters saved so if i ever do get the motivation theyll be reposted, but i cannot guarantee it will happen. so. im telling yall this because youre my favorites.
> 
> i also want to take a moment to address a comment on the last chapter. this is on me for not making it clear and im glad someone brought it up. to be clear, dinah loves helena. dinah also loves oliver. oliver thinks dinah will pick helena. helena thinks dinah will pick oliver. dinah is very confused and uncertain about everything in her life. like WE know who shes going to pick bc its in the tags but dinah does not. i hope that helps anyone else who maybe wasnt clear on that. 
> 
> ANYWAY thats all im done talking. i hope yall enjoy this completely unedited chapter!

Every bit of information they give Dinah when she wakes up a few hours after the incident is nice information to have, but none of it is the information she wants. Her throat will be sore for a few days at least, maybe a week; she should make sure to stay hydrated. There’s bruising on either side of her neck that will hurt if they’re touched.There’s no permanent damage to her vocal chords, spine, or anything else. It may take a little more than a week or two to be fully recovered, but she will make a full recovery. It’s all nice to know, and it does lift a weight off her shoulders, but it isn’t what she wants. It’s not what she needs. She assumes, though, that when the always lovely crew of Renee, Ellen, Victor, and Hal come into her hospital room she’s getting the news she’s been waiting on. Cass has been sitting with Dinah since before she even woke up. She figures Cass was probably working when Helena attacked her and made it a point to stay by her side. Still, Ellen requests that Cass leave to give them all a moment to talk.

“No,” Cass says, shooting the woman an annoyed look. “And if you try to force me out of here then I’ll go find my mom in the surgical wing and tell her everything that’s happened. And just for the record, she doesn’t think too highly of a gamemaker making decisions about the lives of all the victors. Especially when you’ve done such a shitty job taking care of just Dinah.”

“Cass-” Dinah tries, voice soft and raspy. Ellen raises a hand to stop her.

“No, it’s okay Dinah. She has every right to feel that way. I’m not exactly proud of how every single event has played out to this point. It’s valid criticism. I can take it.” She offers a smile that’s somewhat apologetic and moves to sit in the other chair beside Dinah’s bed. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

“Bad,” Dinah answers. She just wants them to rip the bandaid off as soon as possible. Ellen nods.

“We believe that what happened to Helena is something the Capitol refers to as ‘hijacking.’ Victor?”

“It’s a type of fear conditioning,” he explains. “They use tracker jacker venom to put the victim into a like… dissociative state. You were stung in your first games, remember?” Dinah nods. “Once they have them how they want them, they just… torture them. Electric shocks, beatings, and all the while they flash images at them. It strips down their identity, leaves them with nothing but their hatred, or like in Helena’s case, fear.”

“I don’t understand,” Dinah whispers, looking to Renee for some kind of explanation that will make more sense. For someone to just tell it to her straight. Renee sighs.

“They tortured and conditioned her into being terrified of you. Sometimes the fear slips into rage because she’s been made to believe you have hurt her so many times in her life when it wasn’t you. She sees you as a threat more than anything else now, Dinah. It’s why she attacked you. The Capitol turned her into a weapon.”

“We’re optimistic, though,” Ellen says. “The main issue with hijacking is that the victim doesn’t know which of their memories are real. If we can figure which of Helena’s memories have been changed most, then we have a starting point to help her.”

“Can I talk to her?”

“No,” Ellen says quickly. “She needs time right now, and you need to rest. I know you’ve probably been informed, but you’re being discharged today. Whenever you’re ready you’re free to go back to your compartment. We’ll let you know when we have any news, though, okay?” All Dinah can give in response is a nod, but that’s enough for Ellen. She, Hal, and Victor leave the room, but Renee stays behind with Dinah and Cass. There’s a long stretch of silence between the three of them before Renee laughs. The sound has both Cass and Dinah staring at her in confusion, but she’s too busy laughing to explain herself.

“I’m- I’m sorry,” she barely gets out. And then she inhales, sharp and pained, and Dinah notices the tears forming in her eyes just as Renee chokes back a sob. “I’m sorry.”

“Renee-”

“I told you I would protect her. I told you all that I would make sure I got her out of there. I promised. And I didn’t protect her.” She takes a deep breath and wipes away the tears on her face in a rush. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to hold it together. I just…”

“It’s okay. I get it,” Dinah whispers. Renee buries her face in her hands for a moment as she catches her breath, and then she exhales heavily as she pulls herself together.

“Alright,” she whispers. “You should get back to your compartment, okay? Both of you. Rest. Play cards. Do something that isn’t thinking about all of this bullshit.” Dinah doesn’t even get any response out before Renee is rushing out of the room. Dinah figures she’s going to her own compartment to break something or scream in privacy since getting drunk isn’t an option in District 13. She isn’t judging, though. They all are just doing whatever they have to in order to get through each day.

So Dinah does just that: whatever it takes to get through each day. Every day she tries to do something new. President Gordon or Colonel Jordan or whoever it is that’s in charge of her schedule every day has left it clear aside from a few training sessions, designated hunting time with Oliver, and meal times, so she mostly has to figure it out for herself. On the first day she spends the morning down in Victor’s workshop. She takes some target practice while he talks about disrupting signals and data transmissions, and then he teaches her how to disarm a bomb. He moves a little quicker than she can handle, so she’s not particularly eager to test her knowledge in the field any time soon. She leaves the workshop for lunch, and then she plays cards with Cass, wanders the 3rd floor, plays cards with Renee, wanders the 8th floor, plays cards with Oliver, and then wanders the 5th floor. There’s nothing exciting about floors 3, 5, and 8, but she has nothing better to do. She goes to dinner, listens to everyone talk about their days, and then goes to bed. Days 2 and 3 are both breakfast, a training session, hunting, lunch, training, propo planning, dinner, letting Laurel and Cass fill the silence, and then bed. On day 4, Dinah wanders down to Victor’s workshop for about an hour before she finds herself getting distracted by her own thoughts. That won’t do, so she goes to track down Oliver to recruit him to keep her busy somehow. The elevator doors are just about to shut when a hand reaches out to stop them. Ellen steps into the elevator with her chest heaving a little.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” she says.

“I was with Victor.”

“Oh. Well… not everywhere then, I suppose.” Dinah, unsurprisingly, has no interest in small talk.

“What do you need?” If it’s another impromptu propo planning session, then Dinah would like to get it over with sooner rather than later. She trusts Kate and Zatana and the rest of her team to figure it out without needing her input.

“We are going to try something new… with Helena.” Dinah’s head jerks around so quickly that Ellen is surprised the girl doesn’t give herself whiplash. Her mouth opens, a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue, but she can’t decide which one she wants to ask first. Ellen saves her the effort and elaborates. “She’s done really good with the doctors the past few days, but in the end that’s all they are to her: doctors. We’ve decided to bring someone new in. Someone she has a positive history with and may trust or, at the very least, be a little more comfortable around. We would like to try someone who has no association with you, but there isn’t really anyone here in District 13 who fits that description. We’ve paid close attention and made note of the memories she has that have been skewed by the Capitol and that haven’t, and we’ve settled on someone we truly think she trusts despite their connection to you. You can’t be in the room for obvious reasons, but if you would like to come with me and see what’s actually taking place, then you are more than welcome to.” Dinah doesn’t even hesitate before taking Ellen’s offer and heading for the district’s hospital wing with her.

The room Ellen takes her to is small and connected to Helena’s room by a thick wall of one-way glass. Renee is already there, standing beside Harley and Zatanna, and she turns and smiles softly when she hears the door open upon their entrance. Dinah almost returns the smile before realizing it was actually intended for Ellen. There is a group of four District 13 doctors in the far right corner of the room, already clicking their pens, scribbling away at stacks of paper on their clipboards, and mumbling amongst each other. Dinah whispers a small “hello” to Harley and Zatanna as she moves to stand beside them and watch through the glass. Helena is sitting up in her bed staring at the wall. Her arms are restrained; she fidgets mindlessly with the sheet on her bed, but she doesn’t fight to get free. She looks significantly more calm than she did seconds before wrapping her hands around Dinah’s throat, but the anger and distrust in her eyes is clearly visible. Her expression is anything but hers.

Ellen reaches down and presses a button on the wall next to a small speaker. “Okay, send her in.” 

Dinah watches, almost in confusion, as a door opens up at the side of the room and her mother steps in. She doesn’t even have to see her mom’s face to know the exact smile she gives Helena. It’s the warm and kind and gentle one. The one that screams, “It’s okay,” and “You’re safe with me.” It’s the one her mom always gave her when Dinah would wake up early in the morning from nightmares after her dad died or after the games. It was what let her know she didn’t have to talk about it, but she could. She never did, of course. She just accepted the bitter cup of coffee nudged across the kitchen counter to her and took a deep breath to steady her. It helped her then, and by the way Helena immediately relaxes at the sight of Laurel, Dinah knows it’s helping her, too.

“Laurel,” Helena whispers, like she doesn’t believe it. Dinah wonders how many times in the Capitol she saw the people who love her just to realize they weren’t really there.

“Hi honey,” Laurel says as she moves to sit on the edge of the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“She’s too close,” Renee says from Dinah’s right. Ellen hesitates, unsure if she should stop or not. Dinah can’t help but point out in her head that her mom is just as close to Helena as she was before she got attacked, but she can also see a flicker of Helena, the real Helena, her Helena, in the girl’s eyes as she looks at Laurel.

“Helena won’t hurt her,” she tells them. They both accept her response and back down.

“I’m, uh…” Helena looks like she’s fighting herself over whether she wants to answer Laurel’s question or not. “Not good. Wh- Where are we? And how did you get here? What happened?”

“We’re in District 13. It’s where we live now. You were rescued.” Helena’s brow furrows at the words as she looks down at the loose string on her bed sheet she’s spent the last hour and a half fiddling with. When she looks back up, Dinah can’t help but reach her hand out to touch the glass. She looks scared.

“My parents have come to visit me,” she whispers. Laurel nods sympathetically.

“Your parents are still in District 2.”

“Why aren’t they here? Why are we here and they’re not?”

“There was an attack on District 7, Helena. We had to evacuate, and the people from District 13 came and rescued all of us. Just like they rescued you.” Helena looks even more confused.

“But why didn’t they rescue my parents?” Laurel takes a controlled breath as she searches for the right words.

“Because your family is safe there.” 

“They didn’t want to see me, though?”

“Helena-” Dinah sees the moment the girl she knows disappears. The light in her eyes is replaced with a dark and dangerous glint that has Dinah stepping back even though she’s already several feet away from the former career and has a layer of concrete between them.

“It’s because of her. It’s because of Dinah.”

“No, it wasn’t her fault,” Laurel tries. 

“She told you to say that.”

“She didn’t.”

“She’s a liar, Laurel.”

“Helena, listen to me, sweetie. What you’re saying right now is not real.” 

“She sent you here, didn’t she? To talk to me… To tell me all of this…” She looks at Laurel with a wild expression. Dinah is expecting Helena’s untameable rage, but instead they’re all forced to watch as fear and desperation overtakes her. “She knows you’re here. She knows-” 

“Shh, Helena, it’s okay.” Laurel’s attempts to comfort the girl are useless. Helena jerks at her restraints and begins yelling. Laurel jumps away in surprise.

“You can’t trust her! She’s going to hurt you! Just like she did to me!”

“Get her out of there,” Ellen says to whoever is on the other end of her intercom. The door Laurel entered the room through. Laurel starts backing up slowly to her exit. Harley exits the room in a hurry, trying to wipe away her tears before they start falling, and Zatanna follows right behind her.

“She’s a mutt that was created by the Capitol to destroy us! Do you understand me? You have to kill her, Laurel! Before it’s too late!” Ellen reaches out cautiously to put a hand on Dinah’s shoulder, but she thinks better of it and drops her hand back to her side.

“Dinah,” she says gently as Helena continues thrashing and yelling on the other side of the glass. “This is just a conditioned response, okay? It is not her.” Dinah can’t look away from Helena.

“No, you’re right. It’s not.” The combination of pens scribbling on paper to her right and Helena yelling about how inhuman she is becomes too much, and Dinah turns on her heel and leaves the room. She’s halfway down the hall heading for the elevator when someone grabs her wrist and spins her around. Renee and Ellen are looking at her with concern, but she isn’t quite sure if it’s more for her or Helena. Dinah huffs angrily.

“What?” She snaps. Renee raises her hands in surrender.

“Sweetheart, we are on your side here. Don’t snap at us right now, alright? That wasn’t easy for any of us to watch. You know that.” Dinah looks away. Of course she knows that. She wants to have hope that the Helena she knows so well will come back to her someday, but the outburst she just witnessed gives her more reason to believe that girl is irretrievable than anything else.

“I can’t stay here,” she tells the two of them. “I- Not now, at least. I can’t be here anymore. If you want me to be your Mockingjay, then you have got to send me somewhere else because I am going to lose my mind if I stay here and then I will be useless to you.”

“Where do you want to go?” Ellen asks.

“The Capitol.” The answer is easy and as truthful as can be, but Ellen shakes her head at it.

“No.”

“I want to kill him.”

“Join the fucking club, kid,” Renee says with a roll of her eyes. “You know we can’t send anyone there until the districts are secure, though.” Ellen places a hand on Renee’s shoulder to placate her.

“The fighting is almost done in most of the districts, though, so we’re almost ready for that step. The problem right now is just District 2. It’s been harder to take on than the other districts. With the peacekeeper training centers and the career academy and all of the special favor they receive from the Capitol… there are more loyalists there than anywhere else. More than District 1, even.” 

“Fine,” Dinah says. “Then send me to District 2.”

“President Gordon won’t like that idea,” Ellen says.

“What idea won’t I like?” The three of them look to their left to see the woman in question walking down the corridor towards them, an assistant and two generals in tow. She waves them off to give them a moment.

“Your Mockingjay wants to go to District 2,” Renee says. Gordon glances down the hall in the direction the three of them came from. Dinah opens her mouth to plead her case, but Gordon cuts her off.

“I understand that seeing Helena like this is very difficult-”

“That’s not Helena.” There’s a brief flash of surprise on Gordon’s face and then it’s gone.

“I don’t exactly feel comfortable sending you into the biggest warzone we have right now, Ms. Lance.”

“I don’t care. Sionis needs to pay for what he’s done. All of it. But especially this. If you need control of District 2 for me to be able to kill him, then I want to help you get it. Send me there. Let me pull the support of the loyalists over to us. You’ve seen what I can do.”

“I have.” Gordon seems to appraise Dinah for a moment, and then she looks at Ellen. “Prepare Dinah and her propo team to head out to District 2. We’re sending out supplies and reinforcements to them in a few hours. She and her team can accompany them. The sooner we take 2 the better.” And then Gordon walks away from them to go rejoin her other associates. 

\---

Dinah spends most of their trip on the hovercraft sleeping, but about an hour before they’re supposed to land she wakes up. She sits on her bed staring down at the floor for what feels like forever before the sound of heavy footsteps draws her attention up. Oliver smiles a little as he sits beside her, but then it fades as he sighs.

“I went and saw Helena before we left.” In the past, the statement would have gotten him an odd look from Dinah, but she’s come to recognize over time that, as weird as it may have been at first, Oliver and Helena genuinely are friends and care for one another, regardless of their feelings for her.

“What did you think?”

“Something selfish, first.” He rubs his neck and makes a face like he’s somewhat embarrassed by whatever he thought. His eyes drop down the thick binder in his hand that he had been on his way to take to Colonel Jordan. “But then I was just sad. Heartbroken, really… She’s the best of us, you know? She always tries to do right by everyone she cares about. She would give everything she has to keep any of us safe. Cass, Laurel, me, Arthur, Renee, Zatanna… You especially. I hate that she’s hurting so much.” Dinah looks away from him then. The truth of his statement is almost too much to bear.

“What was the selfish thing?” Oliver huffs a laugh, but he doesn’t answer her. “That you don’t have to be jealous of her anymore?” Oliver looks over at her.

“No,” he says. “The opposite, actually, I guess. I’ll never compete with that. Doesn’t matter how much pain I’m in. If she doesn’t get better, then I’ll never stand a chance.”

“That’s not true.” Oliver laughs again, but not in an angry or hateful way. He seems genuinely amused by it.

“You’ll never let her go if she’s stuck like this, Dinah.”

“I love you,” Dinah whispers. It’s not a confession. He knows; he loves her, too. And she knows that. But she whispers it like it is one.

“I know you do, but you would always feel wrong about being with me.”

“The way I always felt wrong about kissing her because of you.”

“Or because of the way you always felt wrong about kissing me because of her.” He grins playfully at her. “Dinah, I know you love me. I know you love her. And I know you think you have to make a choice between us. But I also know that you already have… Whether you know that or not.” Dinah’s mouth falls open a little at his words. She clears her throat awkwardly, suddenly feeling a deep level of discomfort with the conversation at hand. She shakes her head a little before poking the dark blue binder in his hands.

“What’s that?” Oliver sighs and opens it up to show pages upon pages of blueprints and drawings of designs. Dinah recognizes most of them. They look like the snares Oliver used to build out in the woods, but they’re clearly meant for a much larger scale than what he used to catch rabbits and squirrels and grouse.

“It’s a booby trap, of sorts. An application of my old hummingbird trap. You scare people so they flee in this direction,” he explains, pointing out the different points on the plan. “Into what they think is going to be a safe haven for them. You give them enough time to allow people to rush in and help the wounded, and then-”

“A second bomb.”

“Exactly.” Dinah stands from the bed. She turns to face Oliver with her anger.

“So I guess there aren’t any rules about what a person can do to another, huh?” Oliver’s eyes narrow at the question, clearly sensing the accusation in it.

“I don’t really think Sionis was using a rulebook back when he hijacked Helena,” he bites back. Dinah knows Oliver’s words are coming from a place of hatred towards Sionis and of frustration towards her, but the mention of Helena and Sionis in the same sentence is enough to fill her with even more rage.

“Don’t make this about her!” Oliver leans back a little at Dinah’s increase in volume and gives her a look that is just as concerned as it is confused.

“Canary, what the hell? What’s going on in your head right now?” Dinah feels herself deflate at the question.

“I don’t know.” She sits back down beside him.

“I can tell,” he whispers. It isn’t said with any malice; in fact, it seems more like he’s feeling sympathetic towards her than anything else. She doesn’t respond, and he doesn’t follow his own small statement up, so they just sit there in silence on Dinah’s bed together until someone over the large hovercraft’s intercom system announces they’re about to land. She and Oliver head to the front of the hovercraft to join up with the rest of her propo team. Ellen arranged for a larger team than usual to head out to District 2 with Dinah. As always, Oliver, Colonel Jordan, Kate, Anissa, Kara, and Billy are going, but Renee and Victor have also been sent on their journey considering the distance and importance of the work they’ll be doing.

As they emerge from the hovercraft and walk down its exit ramp, Dinah remembers just how big District 2 is. It isn’t exactly how it was when Dinah and Helena stopped in it for the Victory Tour, but it has changed the least out of all of the other districts. The tall marble Justice Building is still standing, as are most of the other buildings in the district, but all of them have chipped portions of the walls, broken windows, and a fairly even mix of blood splatters and graffiti on the exterior. Some of the buildings that were used for government business have their windows and doors boarded up to keep rebels out. Behind the Justice Building, just between it and the massive mountains that surround the district, is a wealthy-looking and gated neighborhood. The houses in it have managed to go virtually untouched by the raging war; it probably has something to do with how many peacekeepers are guarding it from both the inside and outside. If Dinah remembers what all Helena pointed out to her during their visit correctly, then that neighborhood is where Helena was raised, far to the east of it is the district’s main career academy, where she was trained her whole life for the games, and a few blows to the west of it was the Victor’s Village. 

By the standards of every other district, with the exception of maybe District 1, District 2 had been spoiled by the Capitol. At the end of the day, they were all still the Capitol’s slaves, but the people of 2 were much better fed and educated. The majority of the people in District 2 grew up to either become miners and stonecutters or to be funneled into the peacekeepers ranks. Some of the more fortunate ones, like Helena’s father, were able to get positions managing those people. That group of people would never have to do harsh manual labor, and it showed in the way they flaunted their wealthy lifestyles. Status was nearly as important in District 2 as it was in the Capitol. That was where the career academies came from. There was no quicker path to wealth and glory than to become a victor. Even though most of them are singed or covered in graffiti, Dinah can still make out posters on walls and fences advertising both the academies and the Hunger Games themselves. Most of the posters for the games show a victor from District 2 and glorify their achievements during the game and all they’ve been given for winning.

“Welcome to District 2,” a familiar voice greets Dinah and her team. She turns her attention away from a poster of Helena that some rebel has spray painted the word “traitor” over and looks at the person the voice came from. Dick flashes his usual bright and charming smile at the group and waves for them to follow him. “I’m Colonel Grayson. If you wouldn’t mind please follow me.” As they head into the Justice Building an explosion happens in the distance causing most people to freeze and instinctively reach for their weapons. Dick looks over his shoulder with a smile. “Don’t worry guys, that’s just how the loyalists say good morning.”

He leads them into a large conference room where several other high ranking soldiers are already gathered around a table. At one end of the table is a screen being used for President Gordon to call into their meeting, and at the other stands a tall woman who effortlessly commands the attention of the room even as Dinah and her team walk in. The woman doesn’t even spare a glance in their direction as she addresses Gordon, but she does seem to relax just a little as Dick moves to stand by her side.

“President Gordon, we are incredibly grateful for the reinforcements and supplies you have sent, as well as the services of the Mockingjay, but I am not sure anyone outside of District 2 quite understands what we have been up against.” Dick presses a button on a small black remote, and a 3D holographic model of the largest mountain in District 2, and the structure within it, appears in the center of the table. “We call this ‘The Nut.’ Since the Dark Days, it has been the Capitol’s headquarters for all of its offensive operations. It is operated both by military and civilian personnel. The structure lies almost entirely beneath a thick layer of bedrock which prevents us from being able to launch successful airstrikes against it. Earlier this week, we made an attempt to take the northeastern gate. They countered from higher up, and due to heavy losses we were required to pull back. We need to control this structure in order to control the district. Our struggle has been finding a way to successfully do so without the unnecessary sacrifice of soldiers’ lives. I understand it will be impossible to take The Nut without loss of life, but I refuse to send my soldiers on a suicide mission.”

“Could we create a decoy?” One of the men around the table asks. “We could send troops towards one gate and launch a staggered attack at another.” 

“And just whose troops do you suggest we use as a decoy?” Commander Saunders asks from beside him. After their interactions in District 8, Dinah hopes for the man’s sake that he doesn’t push her. She’s one of the most highly respected officers in the rebellion for a reason.

“Don’t forget that we have the Mockingjay,” Dick says, hoping to settle the building tension between the two at the end of the table.

“Exactly,” President Gordon agrees. “Colonel Grayson is correct. Don’t underestimate Ms. Lance’s abilities. We could use her to sway some of the loyalists.”

“With all due respect, you have been underground for a long time, President Gordon. District 2 is not like the rest of Panem. The support for the Capitol runs extremely deep here,” the woman at the head of the table says.

“Then there is no sacrifice too great,” Gordon states. The woman tilts her chin up a little and narrows her eyes. Dinah watches as she clenches her jaw in what seems to be an effort not to argue. Dick and Commander Saunders both seem equally as uncomfortable with the statement as she is, and Dinah can’t say she doesn’t feel the same. Gordon either doesn’t notice their frustration with her statement or she doesn’t care. “We need to control that arsenal. It doesn’t matter if every district was in this alliance; we would still be outgunned if we do not take that fortress.”

“I will not commit my people to a ground assault for the sake of pillaging weapons,” Kendra says.

“Commander Saunders, I understand your people have suffered greatly. More than anyone else in Panem’s, one might argue-”

“Which is why I refuse to condone a mass suicide.”

“If we do not get into that fortress, then we cannot get into the Capitol.”

“Would disabling the fortress be enough? If we could do that rather than taking it, would it work?” Oliver interrupts. A beat of silence passes before the woman at Dick’s side speaks.

“What do you have in mind?” She asks.

“Well, think of it like a wolf’s den. You can’t fight your way into it, so you have two choices: trap the wolves inside or flush them out. If we can’t attack head on, then couldn’t we use hovercrafts to attack the mountain and hit weak points in the peaks?”

“We could figure out our bomb targets using seismic data.” Victor offers from his side. 

“To trigger avalanches,” the woman notes.

“We block all of the exits and cut off all of their supplies. We make it impossible for them to launch any hovercrafts.” Dinah looks up at Oliver and then around the table to gauge reactions to what he’s saying. She and Oliver aren’t ranked officers in any way; the only reason they’re even in the room is out of respect and formality given Dinah’s position as the Mockingjay. She’s surprised his ideas are even being entertained.

“Are you wanting to bury them alive?” Kendra asks. “Their ventilation system is rudimentary at best. If you block those vents, then everyone in there will inevitably suffocate.”

“They can still escape through the train tunnel,” Victor offers.

“Not if we blow that up, too,” the man from earlier says. Dinah watches as expressions shift as everyone understands what he’s implying. Some of them seem distressed and upset by the idea of killing everyone in The Nut while the others appear pleased, excited even, at the prospect of doing so.

“There are civilians in there,” Hal reminds everyone. “They should at least be given the opportunity to surrender.”

“Well that’s a luxury we weren’t exactly given in District 7, now was it?” Dinah puts a hand on Oliver’s arm hoping she can calm him before he says something he’ll regret. She can’t, though. He turns his anger on the woman at the head of the table as she glares at him. “You’re all so cozy here with the Capitol, though. We had to watch children burn to death, and we couldn’t do anything to help them!” Dinah has to close her eyes and take a deep breath as the image of Sal and his wife and her mother’s friends and Cass’ classmates and Oliver’s coworkers all burn alive appears so clearly in her head. She understands why Oliver wants them all to die. For a moment, she does, too.

“I would watch your tone very carefully,” the woman says, levelling her gaze at him. “I know you and everyone else from District 7 have suffered greatly at the hands of the Capitol. I know the people of District 13 have. I know the people of District 8 have. But I think it would be wise to try and remember who the real enemy is.” A flash of Arthur in the arena echoes in Dinah’s brain, and she wonders for a brief moment how he and Mera are doing. She hasn’t seen them since the other victors were rescued from District 13. The reminder is enough to bring Dinah back to the issue at hand.

“There has to be a better way,” she whispers to Oliver.

“I suggest we go forward with this plan but leave the train tunnel alone. Civilians will be able to escape to the square where our armies will be waiting to take them prisoner,” President Gordon says.

“We should have every medic we can spare standing by,” Kendra adds.

“And what if they won’t surrender?” The woman leading them asks. Gordon looks at Dinah for a moment.

“Then we will need a strong and compelling voice to convince them.”

Dinah sticks with her team for a few hours, but when the sun begins to set she and Oliver make their way quietly to a window to watch as the hovercrafts take off to bomb the mountain. Oliver sighs as he turns and takes a seat on the window sill. He’s been frowning since about halfway into the meeting; Dinah can’t tell what exactly has him upset.

“It’s war, Dinah,” he whispers.

“I know.” She doesn’t look at him. Her eyes are still fixed on the hovercrafts as they fade into the dark sky.

“I don’t want to have to kill people, but when the other option is people dying from disease and starvation and being slaves to the Capitol and being shipped off into an arena as kids to either die or come back a different person than they’ll ever be…” He takes a shaky breath, and his frown deepens. “Sometimes killing isn’t personal. I figured if anyone could understand that it would be you.” Dinah looks at him sharply.

“I, of all people, know that killing is always personal, Oliver. The only reason you can say differently is because you’ve never had to kill someone whose name you knew.” She looks back out the window. The hovercrafts are completely out of sight now.

“I guess you’re right,” he concedes. There’s a long silence that stretches between the two of them. Then, the sound of a massive explosion, and people all throughout the building start cheering as the first bomb starts an immediate avalanche on the massive mountain. He speaks again, but in a whisper, “I’m sorry.” Dinah exhales heavily and leans against him, resting her head on his broad shoulder and closing her eyes so she doesn’t have to watch the destruction they’re causing.

Oliver gets summoned to help Hal with something less than ten minutes later, but Dinah isn’t alone for long before Dick finds his way to her side. She’s moved to sit on the window sill, so he joins her in doing the same. Neither of them says anything to one another for a long while. Dinah finally chooses to just put both of them out of their misery and fill the silence with what’s been on her mind since she first saw him while getting off the hovercraft.

“I’m sorry.” Dick gives her a look of confusion but doesn’t interrupt. “I should have protected her better. If I hadn’t convinced her that it was okay for us to split up…”

“No,” he says. “That isn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known. We hid everything from you and left you to feel vulnerable and alone in that arena. You thought disagreeing with your allies would get them to turn on you. I probably would have done the same thing in your position.”

“Still, I feel responsible.” Dick laughs.

“Find me someone who doesn’t, Dinah.” He smiles sadly to himself. “Me, you, Renee, Arthur, Ellen, Diana… We all feel responsible. The Capitol turned her into a weapon, and all of us feel like it’s our fault, but it isn’t. The only person at fault for what happened to Helena is Roman Sionis. He chose to do that to her. He chose to do that to all of us. I won’t tell you not to blame yourself because I know I still do and probably will for the rest of my life, but try to forgive yourself at least.” He sighs again. “I’m sure Renee wanted to tell you this, but I’m going to steal her thunder. Helena had a positive step today.” Dinah looks up, eyes filled with hope.

“What happened?” 

“Diana paid her a visit and spent an hour and a half playing chess with her. That’s the longest anyone has been in a room with her at once. It gets better, though.” Dick smiles. “Diana mentioned you and Helena didn’t flip out at all. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but it’s a big improvement, you know?” Dinah smiles softly for a moment, but then it disappears as she hears a group of soldiers storming out of the building and towards the square.

“What’s going on?” Dick shrugs.

“Nothing I know of. Talia may have just opted to send more reinforcements out there just in case.” Dinah blinks in confusion for a moment before putting the puzzle pieces together.

“I didn’t even realize I never heard her name.” Dick laughs at the confession.

“Her name is Talia, and she wouldn’t give a shit if you called her that, but around anyone but me and maybe Renee you should probably stick to Commander al Ghul.” Dinah’s brow furrows.

“Talia al Ghul? That sounds familiar.”

“I’m not surprised,” Dick says with a nod. “She’s a victor.”

“Really?” Dinah doesn’t voice the fact that she’s surprised so many victors, especially victors from career districts, have sided with the rebellion.

“Yeah, she’s actually the one who was going to volunteer if Helena had been reaped for Quarter Quell.” Dinah’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She’s about to respond when Kate approaches the pair.

“Dinah, it looks like survivors will be exiting the tunnel into the square soon. Are you ready?” Dinah knows she isn’t ready at all; she never is. She nods her head, though, and allows Kate to guide her to join the propo team at the Justice Building’s doors where Anissa fastens a small mic onto Dinah’s Mockingjay outfit. Once they’re ready, Dinah heads out the doors and towards the square with Kate, Billy, Kara, Oliver, and Colonel Jordan all in tow.

The square is illuminated with spotlights, and Dinah can make out the shadows of rebel soldiers on building rooftops with sniper rifles and turrets ready to unload at the first sight of danger. They stand there, silently and patiently, waiting for survivors to appear. Dinah does her best to avoid looking at the spot in the square where she distinctly remembers Roy’s family standing as Helena attempted to eulogize the boy who killed Terra. Colonel Jordan leans down a little to whisper to Dinah where nobody else can hear it.

“Don’t worry, Dinah. There will be survivors.”

“Yeah, what Hal said.” Renee’s voice comes through Dinah’s earpiece loud and clear, and it spooks her almost enough to make her jump. “Anyway, let’s run through your lines. Ellen and Zatanna teamed up to write some speech for you, and-”

“I’m not reading that.” 

“Didn’t think so. Well, if you’re gonna wing it, then just keep in mind that you’re talking to everyone, sweetheart. This isn’t just for the rebels. You’re addressing the Capitol and the survivors here in District 2 as well. We want them to lay down their arms, so if there was ever a time to experiment with some warmth and sensitivity, well, now’s your chance.”

“Thanks for the pep talk,” Dinah deadpans.

“Yup! Now, get out there and make it quick, alright? We don’t want you exposed for too long.” Renee says with a fake cheerful tone. 

A train comes screeching through the tunnel just as Dinah turns to get her signal from Kate that she’s ready to go. Someone on a rooftop shouts some command to everyone to have their guns up and at the ready. The moment the train stops and doors start sliding open there are rebel soldiers yelling at everyone to get on the ground and set their weapons down. Colonel Jordan moves to stand just in front of Dinah as survivors start funneling out of the train cars. One man comes a little too close for his liking, and he begins yelling at him to stop and put his gun down. The man looks somewhat dazed and like he doesn’t fully understand what Hal is saying. Dinah feels her stomach twist with fear. The man stumbles just a little, but a gunshot echoes from a rooftop and he drops on the ground.

“Stop! Stop!” Dinah yells, sprinting forward to his aid. “Hold your fire! Stop!” Hal and Oliver are yelling for Dinah to stay back where she’s safe, and Renee is in ear shouting at her to not do whatever she thinks she’s doing. Dinah drops down at the man’s side. “Stop! He needs help!” The moment she says the words, the man sits up abruptly and puts the barrel of his handgun against the bottom of Dinah’s chin. Hal yells for him to drop the gun, but then the whole square goes still and silent.

“Give me one reason I shouldn’t shoot you right now,” the man says. Dinah is sure that at one point she would have been able to give him a thousand. Definitely before her first games, maybe just after them, but the number of reasons she can come up with has been dwindling from the moment she watched the old man be dragged up the stairs in District 11.

“I can’t.” Saying the man looks surprised would be an understatement, but Dinah continues. “I guess that’s the problem, isn’t it? We blew up your mine. You burned my district to the ground. We have every reason to want to kill each other. So if you want to kill me then go ahead. Do it. Make Sionis happy. I’m tired of killing his slaves for him.”

“I’m not his slave,” the man mutters.

“Yeah? Well, I am. That’s why I killed Roy. And he killed Terra. It just goes around and around. And who wins? Not us. Not the districts. It is always. Sionis. But I am done being a piece in his games.”

Helena knew. Before Dinah ever really understood, Helena saw it exactly for what it was. The cool metal of the gun barrel against her skin has Dinah hoping that someday Helena will see this footage and remember the rooftop. Their rooftop. That she’ll remember that evening before the first games and their picnic before the Quarter Quell and that somewhere in all of that she will remember their cave and their bed on the train. And with those memories, maybe she can remember that she promised Dinah that she would stay with her. _Always._ And Dinah hopes that when Helena watches Dinah die she will forgive her for not doing the same.

“District 2 and District 7? We have no fight except the one the Capitol gave us,” Dinah tells the man. “Why are you fighting the rebels? Your neighbors. You’re family.” 

“I- I don’t know.” The man lowers his gun and lets go of Dinah. For a moment, Dinah is in a complete state of shock. She was sure she was going to die right there at that moment. She was ready to. She pulls herself together, brushes off her own surprise that whatever she said was moving enough to get him to let her go, and stands up. She turns, facing as much of the crowd of people as she can.

“These people are not your enemy! We all have one enemy.” Dinah turns to look right at the camera Kara is holding up. “And it’s Roman Sionis. He corrupts everyone and everything. He turns the best of us against each other. Stop killing for him!” Dinah turns back to face the people of District 2 who have survived the bombing. “Tonight, turn your weapons to the Capitol. Turn your weapons to Sionis!” 

She’s never felt great about her public speaking abilities. Helena is the passionate speaker and the diplomat and the likeable one. Helena should have been the Mockingjay. They probably would have had District 2 under the rebellion’s control before now if she had been. The fact of the matter, though, is that Dinah is proud of her words. She believes what she’s saying, and she wants the rebels and loyalists to all believe her, too. She looks out over the crowd, ready to watch people surrender and join their fight, and then she gets shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always. if you want to make me go :D then leave a comment
> 
> hopefully the next chapter doesnt take a month but who knows with my adhd ass. no matter how long it takes, in the meantime please take care of yourselves, stay safe, and be nice to yourselves.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: hopefully the next chapter doesnt take me a month  
> also me: *takes a month to write another chapter*
> 
> i just have adhd and my latest hyperfixation (far cry 5) is in fact taking up all of my time  
> anyway. thank u for reading. just a warning im a big fan of "no beta we die like men." i hope you enjoy this chapter. its got some good stuff me thinks. and it will probably hurt you multiple times. have fun!

Leave it to Ivy to make sure Dinah was bulletproof. The impact of the bullet hitting her chest is enough to knock her out for a solid three and a half days, but when Dinah comes to she finds that all the bullet left her with was some pretty rough bruising. No permanent damage. Renee and Laurel gladly inform her that she is not dead, nor will she be dying, and District 2 has fallen into District 13’s hands following their efforts (particularly her moving speech). Harley drops by at some point in the evening after Dinah wakes up, and then she disappears only to return with Zatanna and Cass in tow an hour later. When Oliver visits he spends the entire time seeking out physical contact with Dinah. He holds her hand and then he brushes the hair out of her face and then he drums his fingers on her knee and then he holds her hand again and then he moves his leg so that it’s touching hers and then he holds her hand some more. He acts like he doesn’t quite believe she’s there; it’s like a connection between them is his only lifeline. Dinah tries not to dwell on the thought that Oliver has seen her almost die more than anyone else has after he leaves.

The white curtain between her bed and the bed of the other patient in the room is yanked back, and Diana Prince is revealed standing with an eyebrow raised and an irritated look on her face. She huffs a little as she drops down to sit on the edge of Dinah’s bed.

“I’m alive,” Dinah says awkwardly. Diana snorts a little and rolls her eyes.

“Well, no shit. You’re the Mockingjay.” Her mocking tone has Dinah’s brow furrowing in frustration. It isn’t like she asked to be the Mockingjay. When Diana reaches down and expertly detaches Dinah’s morphling drip from her arm and plugs it into her own, the look on Dinah’s face softens. Diana raises her eyebrow at her again. “You don’t mind do you?”

“Knock yourself out.”

“God, I wish. There’s some stupid head doctor that comes in every day, same one that sees Helena, you know?” No, Dinah thinks. “He says he’s trying to help me adjust to reality. Like some boring man from this rabbit hole knows anything about my reality.” She closes her eyes and sighs as she starts to feel the effects of the morphling. “He tells me like twenty times every session that I am completely safe. Safe from the Capitol. Safe from Sionis. What about you, Mockingjay? Do you feel completely safe?”

“Until I got shot I did,” Dinah lies. Diana rolls her eyes once more.

“Don’t give me that shit. I’ve heard you having nightmares. You’re no different than me or Arthur or Renee or Helena or any other victor ever. Even the most vicious careers are truly and deeply fucked up. So, what are your injuries?”

“Bruised ribs and a bruised lung.” Diana gasps dramatically.

“You mean they haven’t gotten you a new lung, yet? Do you want mine? I mean, it is everyone’s job to keep you alive, isn’t it?”

“Is that why you hate me?”

“I don’t hate you,” Diana snaps. “I hate your tacky and doomed romance and your whole defender of the helpless act. Granted, it’s not an act, but somehow that makes all of it worse. Feel free to take any of this personally.” Dinah forces herself not to laugh to avoid the pain that would follow it.

“They should have made you the Mockingjay. Nobody ever has to tell you what to say.”

“True, but nobody likes me anymore.”

“I don’t know if that’s true.”

“Maybe it isn’t,” Diana leans back, and Dinah cringes when at least two of the older woman’s joints pop loudly. “But, the people in the districts, the rebels… They don’t like me.”

“If it makes you feel any better, they don’t like me either.” Diana laughs wholeheartedly at that.

“I call bullshit.”

“No, I’m serious,” Dinah tells her with a shake of her head. “They all like what I stand for and what they want me to be. They like the symbol. The Mockingjay. Nobody knew me before my first games, and after, during the victory tour and the Quarter Quell, they only liked me because-”

“Helena made you bearable,” Diana finishes softly. Dinah feels a deep ache in her chest that doesn’t come from any of her injuries.

“Helena made everything bearable.” Diana’s eyes drift over to the metal table beside Dinah’s bed where a few things her mom and Cass brought her rest.

“That’s just stuff my family brought,” Dinah whispers as Diana takes one of the items between her thumb and index finger and holds it up to inspect. The black pearl shines a little in the light, reminding Dinah of the arena. Of the water and the sand and the sun and the lightning and Helena every other bright spot in her life that she took for granted.

“It’s from her?” Dinah swallows the lump in her throat.

“Yeah,” she whispers.

“They messed us up pretty good, didn’t they?” Diana says with a quiet and unamused laugh. Dinah doesn’t really have anything to say in response.

The next morning, Dinah is packing her few small belongings into a bag to return to her compartment when Renee and Ellen enter. They seem to be bickering about something, but they drop it before Dinah can pick up on what exactly it is. She looks between the two of them as they both look at each other expectantly. It takes several moments, but Renee is finally the one to give in and speak.

“We think you should go see Helena.” Dinah tenses at the statement.

“No.”

“We’ve been showing her footage of your speeches and the less action-packed moments from your time in the arena. She’s having real memories of you, sweetheart. Real and good memories.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m going in there with her, though.”

“She’s strapped down, Dinah. She can’t hurt you if that’s what you’re worried about,” Ellen says. 

“I don’t want to.”

“It doesn’t matter what you want,” Renee snaps. The room fills with tension, and Renee sighs. “It’s for Helena,” she adds, softening her voice. “What’s the harm in trying?” Dinah casts her eyes downward. She doesn’t want to risk the pain of seeing how much Helena doesn’t remember about her, or worse: seeing that Helena remembers everything, but she finally sees Dinah for all of her faults. Helena has sacrificed every bit of her life for her, though, so Dinah can’t find it in herself to turn her back on the girl. She pinches the bridge of her nose and nods in agreement.

The room Helena’s in is the same room with stark white walls that they had her in initially after she was rescued. She’s put on some weight and most (but not all) of her bruises have completely, or almost completely, faded away into her pale skin. There are still bags under her eyes, though, and there’s a tension in her jaw when Dinah enters that reminds her how little trust Helena has in her now. Part of her wishes their conversation could be a little more private; the other part of her is grateful for Renee and Ellen on the other side of the glass. Helena’s gaze is fierce and scrutinizing. It feels like she’s still trying to decide if she should attack or not. Dinah tries to push back the question in her mind of if that’s how it felt to all of the other tributes in their first games when they saw Helena. Had Helena always had the same poised to kill look of all of the other careers and Dinah just never noticed it?

“Well, you look terrible,” Helena deadpans. Her tone is colder than normal, but it’s more her than anything Dinah has heard from her since their last night in the arena.

“I could say the same for you,” she fires back softly while crossing her arms protectively over her chest. Helena hums in acknowledgement. There’s a drawn out and tense silence before she finally speaks.

“You kissed me.” Dinah freezes in confusion. She isn’t exactly sure what time Helena is referring to, but the taller girl elaborates before she has to ask. “In the cave.”

“I did.”

“Why?” Dinah opens her mouth to respond but says nothing. She doesn’t really know how to answer the question. Helena huffs almost aggressively. “You kissed me. And then you drugged me. Why?” Somehow that’s easier to answer.

“To save you.”

“Why?”

“Because you would have done the same for me.” Helena’s brow furrows sharply at that.

“Why would I do that?” If it were anyone else, the constant questioning of everything she says would piss Dinah off. But it’s Helena. And Helena has been to hell and back. She’s allowed to question anyone and anything she wants to.

“Because you’re kind, and gentle…” Dinah says softly. “And people said you loved me.”

“Loved?” Dinah’s heart skips a beat at the way Helena seems to challenge her use of past tense. Helena doesn’t dwell on that for too long. She has more questions she wants answered. “Did people say you love me?”

“Yeah… They say that’s why Sionis had you tortured. To hurt me.” Helena tilts her head like that idea makes absolutely no sense to her.

“Sionis says everything that comes out of your mouth is just another lie,” Dinah drops her gaze to the floor instead of trying to defend herself. Helena sees the movement and laughs humorlessly. “I know one thing for sure.” Dinah looks back up at her. “If you had just let me die in that cave, then you would have saved me a whole lot of suffering.” Helena’s harsh gaze becomes suffocating, and Dinah exits the room quickly to escape it.

She drops by her room, grabs her bag, tells Diana goodbye, and then heads straight for her compartment. Many people greet her as they pass each other, but Dinah can’t muster up anything other than a nod of acknowledgement to them. Cass isn’t there when she gets home. At first Dinah just assumes she has a shift in the infirmary, but Laurel informs her that Cass is actually in Harley and Zatanna’s compartment. Apparently, Harley has enthusiastically taken Cass under her wing to teach her everything she knows about “fashion, love, and life.” Laurel doesn’t seem too sure about the life part, and Dinah can’t blame her since she has so many distinct memories of Harley drinking more alcohol than should be possible, saying whatever she wanted very, very loudly to people she shouldn’t be speaking to at all, and leaving rooms filled with smoke and a headache inducing odor in the tribute center. Love and fashion, though, are two things Dinah is confident Harley knows well, especially since she can’t imagine Ivy would have married someone who didn’t. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed to Dinah that Harley still wears her ring at all times and fidgets with it whenever she’s worried about what’s going on. It’s safe to say that Cass could definitely be in worse hands.

“Hey mom, can I ask you something?” Dinah whispers from her bed where she’s been fidgeting with Helena’s mockingjay carving for the better part of an hour. Laurel looks up from the clothes she’s been folding.

“Of course, honey.”

“How did you get over it after dad died?” Laurel walks over to the bunk, rests her elbows on the edge of the mattress, and smiles sympathetically at her daughter.

“I’m not sure you want to hear this answer, Dinah.”

“Please,” Dinah whispers, voice cracking through the word. Laurel releases a heavy sigh.

“I don’t think I ever did if we’re being completely honest. I moved on the best I could, but that kind of loss… I don’t think it’s possible to get over it. It’s been years, and I still wake up every morning and, for a brief moment, he’s there. He’s alive and his heart is beating and I can feel the warmth and safety of being in his arms and I can smell the sawdust that always seemed to be in his hair no matter how much he washed it and I can hear him breathing still. As if he never even stopped. Every morning was the same. He would crack his knuckles as he climbed out of the bed so carefully to avoid waking me up and he would get dressed and sit on that old chest that was at the foot of our bed and put his boots on. I remember the mornings I had with him so well, and I feel like I experience all of it in a flash whenever I wake up. And then he goes. Right out of the room, out the front door, and all the way to the mill to get his daily assignment. And I’m left with the smell of ashes and a deep, unforgiving ache in my chest. He just… slips away… I could never get over that.” Laurel wipes at her eyes to make sure no tears have escaped and forces out a shaky breath.

“I don’t want her to slip away,” Dinah whispers. “But I think I may be too late.”

“I wish I could promise you it would all be okay. I don’t know if she’ll ever quite recover. Even if she does, she won’t ever be the same Helena she was before. But Dinah,” Laurel reaches up and tilts Dinah’s chin, forcing her daughter to meet her eyes. “You have a chance. Helena may be dealing with a lot right now, but she’s still here. She’ll only slip away if you give up on her.” Dinah nods, unsure how to put her feelings into further words. Laurel reaches up and pulls her into a hug, or at least the best she can manage with her standing on the ground and Dinah sitting on the top bunk. The two of them go back to what they were doing beforehand in silence when it becomes clear neither of them have anything more to say.

Laurel leaves the compartment to go work an evening shift at some point, so Dinah is forced to drag herself off of the bed to go to dinner by herself. She shoves the carving into her pocket, not willing to let it go for the moment, turns off the lights, and slips out the door. Dinah double checks to make sure it’s locked, and when she turns around she nearly has a heart attack at the sight of Arthur standing so close to her. He grins in amusement and tilts his head a little bit. 

“Oh, come on now, Dinah! You’re a skilled warrior and survivalist. How can you even get snuck up on?” Dinah rolls her eyes and chooses to ignore his question. She focuses her attention to the woman hanging off his arm who looks like she’s nearly a foot shorter than he is.

“You must be Mera?” She asks.

“Hi,” she says softly. Dinah is pretty sure the woman has a few screws loose, but she doesn’t seem nearly as unhinged as Dinah was expecting. She quietly points out to herself that she would much rather have Mera around than people like Jason or Selina or Zsasz since Mera at least won’t be trying to kill her.

“We were wondering if we could walk you to dinner? I know your mother is working later than usual tonight.” Arthur says. Dinah hides her momentary shock. It’s not that she doubted her friendship with Arthur by any means, but somehow genuine care for her from anyone other than her mother, Cass, Oliver, and Renee takes her by surprise. She smiles at the couple.

“Yeah, that would be nice.” And it is. Arthur tells Dinah about him beating Diana at chess so many times earlier in the day that Diana flipped a table over and about his new trident that Victor designed and about some propos President Gordon and Ellen have him doing. Annie makes (very) small comments here and there as he speaks. Dinah is content to just listen to someone talk about the mundane parts of life. It gives her a chance to relax and forget about how hellish her life has become. Arthur stops just outside the large double doors and takes a deep breath.

“Dinah, we have news. And we wanted to share it with friends first before all of District 13 knows… Mera and I are getting married.” He looks ecstatic and like he’s holding back his excitement at the same time. 

“Holy shit! I- Wow. That’s-” Dinah pulls him into a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you,” she whispers in his ear just before pulling back. “Congratulations, you guys. It’s about time something good happened around here.”

“Thank you,” Arthur laughs. “I’m just glad she didn’t reject me.”

“I would never,” Mera tells him with a playful nudge to his ribs with her elbow. They head inside and through the line to get their trays. The trio goes to their usual table near the middle of the room where the rest of their mismatched little group are already sitting. Cass is seated with Zatanna and Harley to her left and Diana and Oliver on her right as she tells some story that has the whole table amused. Dinah sits next to Oliver and Arthur and Mera sit next to her. She has to pull the carving out of her pocket and set it on the surface of the table to sit comfortably. Oliver smiles at her, but it becomes much more sad when he glances at the mockingjay between their trays.

“You missed it, Canary. Cass was just telling everyone about the time you got chased by the turkey that had wandered into District 7 somehow.” Dinah rolls her eyes and groans dramatically.

“Oh god, why would you do this to me, Cass?” Harley laughs.

“She’s a great story teller. Didn’t leave out any details. I can see you running down the road as the turkey chases after you. All four of its skinny little legs ready to snap with how fast it’s goin’.” The table goes silent for a moment.

“Harley?” Oliver says cautiously.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think turkeys have four legs?” The whole table is paying close attention, and Harley can tell that she was in fact mistaken about the amount of legs a turkey has.

“Well, now I don’t.” Everyone around the table laughs as Oliver questions Harley on how many birds she’s ever seen in real life and how many legs they all had to which Harley defends herself by reminding everyone that there aren’t any birds in the Capitol. Dinah is so caught up in the laughter that she doesn’t even notice at first. It takes Arthur clearing his throat to get her to look up.

“Uh… hi.” Dinah nearly chokes at the sight of Helena. There’s a pair of guards standing directly behind her, and she’s awkwardly holding her tray because of the shackles on her wrists.

“Helena!” Cass says. “You’re out and about and shit!” Helena forces a small smile.

“What’s with the fancy bracelets, kid?” Diana asks.

“I’m um… I’m still not quite trustworthy,” Helena says. “I can’t sit here without your permission so… that’s what I came to ask.” Diana grins and scoots over enough to give Helena room to sit between her and Oliver.

“Of course she can sit here,” she tells the two guards. “Helena and I are old friends. We had adjoined cells in the Capitol, so we’re very well acquainted with each other’s screams.” One of the guards gives Helena a nod and then they move to go stand a few feet away, close enough to intervene but not to make it more awkward than it already is, and Helena cautiously sits down. The statement has Mera tucking her face into Arthur’s shoulder and he shoots a glare in Diana’s direction. There’s an awkward and drawn out pause around the table, like the fire has been blown out of their party, and then Oliver nudges Dinah’s leg under the table to get her attention and gestures with his eyes to Helena. The girl’s attention is focused on one thing alone: the wooden mockingjay between Oliver and Dinah’s trays, her very own handiwork. Dinah hesitates for a moment, completely unsure of how to open a conversation with Helena anymore, before carefully taking the carving in her hand and reaching across Oliver to offer it to Helena. Helena hesitates for a moment; her eyes dart over to Diana, who offers a barely noticeable but encouraging nod, and then she reaches out and takes it. Dinah sucks in a sharp breath when their fingers brush together. Last time Dinah felt Helena’s hands they were wrapped around her neck.

“I made this… right?” Helena asks as she inspects it. Dinah clears her throat.

“Yeah, you did.”

“You kept it?”

“Of course.” Helena’s gaze scrutinizes her for a moment before dropping back down to the intricately carved bird.

“Good,” she whispers. Helena seems wrapped up in her inspection of the bird, so Arthur seizes his opportunity.

“Mera and I have an announcement!” The whole table looks at him expectantly, and his grin only grows. “We’re getting married!” The table returns to its loud state of joy as everyone congratulates the couple and asks for all of the details like how Arthur proposed and when they’re having it. Dinah is happy for them, of course, but her focus remains on Helena as the girl turns the carving in her hands and inspects every bit of it. Dinah is ripped from the moment when Colonel Jordan approaches the table and silently signals for him to come with her. Oliver assures her that he’ll take care of her tray, and she bids her makeshift family goodbye.

Hal leads the way down to the same room they’ve been using for all of their meetings and propo planning sessions and opens the door for her. He doesn’t follow her in and just shuts the door behind her. Ellen and President Gordon are sitting on one end of the table, so Dinah sits directly across from them. The two share a look, and Ellen gestures for Gordon to speak.

“Well, I think the only thing left to say is thank you.” Dinah narrows her eyes a little.

“What happens next?”

“We’ll be taking the fight to the Capitol. Troops from every district are already making their way to the outskirts so they can prepare for the invasion,” Ellen explains.

“I need to be there.”

“No,” Gordon asserts. “You have done your job, and you have been very successful at it. You have unified the districts. You should be proud of your efforts. Now, you can rest, and heal, while we take care of the rest.”

“I should be there. I’ve worked my ass off for this. I want to see it to the end.” When Dinah says “the end,” she is specifically referring to Sionis, but she doesn’t think sharing that information is necessary or would be helpful to her case.

“We understand why you are feeling like this, but we just can’t send you out there. You’ve been very valuable to us, and we appreciate all you’ve done for the rebellion,” Ellen attempts. Dinah scoffs.

“Last time the rebels saw me I was lying on the ground in District 2.”

“Exactly,” Gordon says. “And as far as they are aware, you survived a bullet to the heart. They will understand why you are not with them in the Capitol. If it makes you feel any better we will fly you in for the surrender when we win this war. We would love to have you present at the ceremony.” Dinah wants to argue. She wants to scream and throw things and maybe even kick her chair across the room. She wants to kill Roman Sionis. With a knife, with a bow, with her bare hands… she doesn’t care how. She just wants to be the one to do it. She doesn’t want to toss a coin for it with President Gordon. She wants to just do it and be rid of him forever. She resigns herself to the fact that she will just have to find her own way to the Capitol when the people who always tell her what to do aren’t paying attention.

“Okay, fine,” she tells the pair across from her. “I’ll do whatever you need me to.”

Arthur and Mera’s wedding becomes the only subject in District 13 for days. A large group of children are recruited to sing District 4’s official wedding song at it; Dinah jokes that Cass should audition for their little choir, but Cass seems unamused by the joke. Adults and some of the older kids show up to the dining hall throughout each day to volunteer themselves to help make directions for the event. Dinah and Oliver spend hours in Victor’s lab shooting at the targets while Arthur lays on the floor and writes and rewrites his vows over and over again. Ellen, Harley, Zatanna, and the entire propo team are constantly running all over the place as they plan and prepare. 

The wedding is the first good thing to happen to everyone in District 13 for as long as they can remember, so it makes sense that it gets everyone in the spirit to participate and help out. Dinah even offers to take Mera to District 7 with her when Renee tells her that Ellen’s latest wedding induced fit was about what the bride will wear. Dinah’s wedding gowns were all sent back to the Capitol after her photoshoot, but she has plenty of other dresses and gowns from her victory tour there to choose from. Harley, Zatanna, and Renee all join the two of them for the quick trip. On the hovercraft ride there, Dinah figures out why so many people think Mera is crazy. She doesn’t share that opinion, but the woman is definitely a little more unstable than the average victor. She laughs randomly to herself, zones out like she’s having flashbacks, and will just drop out of conversation every now and then. Dinah thinks all of those are fairly reasonable behaviors given that Mera saw someone actually, physically, lose their head in her games.

Her home is still the same as ever aside from a thin layer of dust that has settled over everything. The smell of smoldering ashes has finally overtaken the once familiar scents of sawdust and cinnamon that she so heavily associates with District 7, but when she enters her bedroom she swears she can still smell hot chocolate and Helena. Maybe it’s just a longing for what she used to have, though. The moment she opens the door to her closet, Zatanna covers her mouth to try and stifle a gasp and staggers back to sit on the bed, Renee forces herself to look anywhere but the closet, and tears spring to Harley’s eyes. The former stylist reaches out hesitantly, as if everything in the closet will disappear under her touch, and runs her hand along the black dress Dinah wore to the last party of their victory tour at the Presidential Palace in the Capitol. 

“It’s like she’s right here,” Harley whispers.

“I miss her,” Renee says softly from behind them. Harley forces a small laugh and wipes away her tears.

“Alright, alright. Red wouldn’t want us all boohooing over her just because we saw some dresses.”

The whole group forces a brave face for the rest of their visit. Dinah and Renee eventually dismiss themselves to go occupy themselves with whatever they can find downstairs. Dinah admires Harley’s bravery in the face of her own pain, but Dinah just can’t bear to think about Ivy for the time being. There’s already so much terrible going on, and thoughts of the stylist make her want to curl up in a ball and sob until her lungs no longer work. Eventually, Zatanna, Mera, and Harley emerge from the room and come downstairs, a simple but perfect white dress chosen for the wedding, and the group makes their return to 13 in silence as they all try to ignore the palpable sense of pain on the hovercraft.

When they get back to District 13, Cass and Laurel are both working, Oliver is working on something with Victor, Renee slips away to Ellen’s compartment, Mera wanders off to find Arthur, and Zatanna and Harley go to help some more with wedding preparations, so Dinah makes her way to the compartment of the only other victor she can stand to be around lately. 

Dinah and Diana are not friends. Not necessarily, at least. They would both die for Helena or Arthur, and they would die for each other, and they talk about their feelings and trauma regularly, but it’s all in a very detached sense that keeps them from feeling quite like friends. Comrades? Yes. Allies? Of course. Maybe even companions. But somehow friends seems like too much for both of them. Dinah thinks it could be a mutual understanding between them that the less people they get attached to the less they can be hurt. Still, with everyone so busy lately, Dinah finds herself lying on the floor of Diana’s compartment staring at the ceiling with her fairly regularly. 

“Hey Diana?” Dinah breaks the silence.

“Hm?”

“Could you really hear her screaming?” The silence stretches long enough that Dinah resigns herself to the fact Diana is just not going to answer her, and she forces herself to accept that boundary.

“All the time,” Diana whispers. “Granted, there came a part where I couldn’t tell if she was really screaming or if my mind had become so used to it that I was just always hearing it. It was like the jabberjays in the arena… Only it was real. And it never stopped after an hour.” Diana turns her head to meet Dinah’s eyes and smiles sadly. “Tick, tock.”

“Tick, tock,” Dinah whispers back, eyes turning up to the ceiling once more. That night, everything in her dreams screams.

The following day is hectic all through the morning and afternoon leading up to the wedding ceremony. Dinah locks herself away in her compartment to play cards with Cass and avoid the chaos. Everyone else surely has it under control; they don’t need her help, too. Plus, Dinah really doesn’t want to find herself pulled into some propo of all of the victors helping decorate for Arthur and Mera’s wedding. She doesn’t emerge until it’s time for the actual event, and Oliver is waiting outside her door holding out his arm to escort her when she exits the compartment. The two of them sit together near the front along with their families. Mostly because Arthur and Mera wanted their friends closest, but also because Ellen wants the propo team that’s filming the whole thing to be able to get the best possible shots.

“From this day forth, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, I promise to love and cherish you each day,” Mera vows. Arthur smiles wider than Dinah has ever seen.

“I, Arthur Curry, take you, Mera Xebella Challa, as my wife from this day forth. Together, or apart, we will always be united. One life, one purpose, one destiny,” he says. There’s a chorus of aw’s, and then the massive crowd erupts in applause and cheers as the officiant tells Arthur to kiss his bride, and the victor leans in to do just that. Dinah doesn’t even have to pretend to be happy for them.

The crowd is dismissed to begin the festivities of the wedding just after that, and it takes practically no time for the music to begin and everyone to start dancing. The celebration is lively and exciting. As Dinah watches from the outskirts of the dance floor, she can’t help but note how it’s the happiest she has ever seen the people of District 13 seem. She watches Oliver, Cass, and Laurel dancing and laughing together for a moment before a familiar figure appears beside her.

“Surprised they didn’t make you give some big speech for the happy couple,” Diana says just loud enough for Dinah to hear. “It’s unusual for you to not be forced in front of a camera so someone else can make a statement.” Dinah doesn’t look at her or acknowledge the words despite her agreement with (and appreciation of) them. She just continues staring straight ahead at the people she’s fought so hard to protect.

“I’m going to kill Sionis.” Diana turns fully to face her, and Dinah doesn’t have to look to know the older woman is pleased with the declaration. She can feel the intensity in the gaze, though. “Nothing good is safe while he’s still breathing,” she continues. “And I can’t make another speech about it. So no more cameras. No more propos… No more games. He needs to see my eyes when I kill him.” Diana whistles in admiration.

“Now you’re talking.”

“I just have to find a way to the Capitol since they wouldn’t send me willingly.”

“I heard the medics talking the other night when I went to see Helena. They’re shipping supplies to the front lines tonight out of Hangar 2.” Diana looks at a clock on the wall behind them. “In about an hour. I was going to go steal some painkillers, but I wouldn’t mind staying back to cover for you instead.” Dinah looks at her and nods.

“Thank you.” Diana shrugs, and then checks around them quickly before leaning in a little to whisper to her.

“Anybody can kill anybody, Dinah. Even the President. You just have to be willing to sacrifice yourself,” she leans back away with a smile and nudges Dinah towards the dance floor. “Go on… Are you going to miss a chance to let Sionis see you dancing and having fun?” Dinah manages a real smile and heads for her loved ones, hands tucked awkwardly in her pockets. Diana is right. What could possibly spell victory louder than the Mockingjay herself spinning around and smiling with the people she loves? The circle Oliver, Cass, and her mother formed opens easily to bring her into it. Dinah blushes as Oliver pulls her into him and then twirls her by her hand. Her mother and Cass laugh and spin around with each other before separating and swapping, Dinah to Cass and Laurel to Oliver. They continue dancing to the fiddler’s music, but then Dinah thinks about Diana’s words. She probably won’t return from the Capitol. And she is completely okay with that, but there’s no way for her to tell Cass that she’s doing it for her without risking giving her plan away. She leans down to hug her sister, hoping the message will get across.

“I know,” Cass whispers as hugs her back, and Dinah knows it has. She tries to ignore Oliver’s confused expression as she pulls away and goes back to dancing until the music slows enough for Dinah to have an excuse to remove herself from the dance floor. She heads for the exit, pausing only to glance back towards her people. Oliver is talking with Victor by an assorted cheese tray, Renee and Ellen are slow-dancing with soft smiles, Cass and her mom are at a table with Harley and Zatanna laughing about something, and Arthur is holding Mera against him as they talk to Diana. He looks up and meets her eyes, as if he knew she would be standing there, and even from the distance they’re apart Dinah can still see the reassuring nod he gives her. She returns the nod, takes a deep breath, and heads for her compartment.

She changes her outfit into something all black. Light but durable pants, a shirt she wore while out in District 2, a jacket with a hood, combat boots, and leather gloves. She writes a note to her mom and Cass explaining where she has gone and why and how much they mean to her. Asking them to take care of Helena and Diana and Oliver. She takes a simple bag with only her mockingjay pin in it down to Victor’s workshop where she then stuffs it with her bow and as many arrows as she can. When she’s sure she’s got what she needs and wants with her, she heads straight for Hangar 2. It’s an easy route to take without being noticed, especially with the wedding still going on and taking up most of the district’s attention. She reaches for the door when a hand grabs her shoulder.

“You just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?” Oliver asks. Dinah closes her eyes and sighs before turning around to meet his eyes. He smiles the same way he used to whenever they went hunting together. “If I weren’t going to be in the Capitol, too, I would accuse you of leaving without saying goodbye.”

“I have to kill him, Oliver.” She hopes the desperation in her voice isn’t as obvious as it feels.

“I never said I wanted to stop you, Canary.” He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Listen, I… tomorrow we’ll both be in the Capitol, and you and I both know there’s no guarantee we both get to come back.” Dinah tilts her head in confusion.

“What is this about?”

“Do you remember the day we were hunting here in 13,and I was going to say something, but then-”

“Yeah, I do. What were you going to say?” Dinah would be lying if she said it hadn’t been a question hanging in the back of her mind since that day. Oliver shifts on his feet anxiously, an unusual sight given how calm and composed her usually is.

“I know that you know I am hopelessly in love with you, and I know that in some ways you love me too. You’re my best friend, Dinah. You’ll never stop being my best friend. But I need you to know that I know, and that is okay.”

“What? What are you talking about? What’s okay?” She whispers.

“It’s her, Dinah. It’s always been her,” Oliver says. “Whether she gets better or not, I know Helena has your heart. And you know it, too.”

“I don’t-” Dinah stutters out, but Oliver cuts her off.

“You do. You didn’t know during your first games or after them. Hell, you probably didn’t know until halfway through the Quarter Quell. I saw you two on that beach, though. And even if that moment didn’t prove me right every time you heard or name or saw her face while she was in the Capitol would. If she doesn’t get better anytime soon you’ll spend the rest of your life trying to help her to get back to some semblance of who she was because you are Dinah Lance and you do not give up on people you love. And if she does get better soon, well… she’ll be the woman you fell in love with again.” Dinah looks like she wants to argue, but Oliver won’t let her. “You have known for awhile. We both have. Everyone has, I think. I’m telling you that it is okay. I will be okay. If you love her the way I think, no, the way I know you do… then I want you to choose Helena.”

“I never wanted to hurt you,” Dinah whispers. Oliver laughs.

“I know, but I’m pretty sure you hurt yourself more than anyone else throughout all of this. I’m just telling you to stop and let yourself have what you’ve wanted all along.”

“Ollie, we don’t even know if she’ll get better. She could spend the rest of her life hating me.” He shakes his head and smiles.

“No, she won’t. She loves you. She’ll remember. She’ll get better.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I know her. And I know you. You two never give up on each other.” He tells her with an easy smile. He steps around her to open the door to the hangar and gives her a playful salute. “You’ve got a hovercraft to catch, Canary. I’ll see you on the battlefield.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are in the home stretch yall. dinah (and other characters we know and love) are heading for the capitol to end this once and for all. prepare yourselves for anything and everything that could lie ahead. i will be deviating from the og hunger games so whatever you think you know... no you dont. 
> 
> anyway if you want to show your love and support for this fic please comments, leave a kudos if you havent, and stream love story - taylor's version. thanks!


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